Dear Bella, Dear Edward Continued
by m244robp
Summary: Friends since childhood, Bella Swan and Edward Cullen keep in touch. Then something happens. This is the aftermath. This is a continuation of the epistolary form one-shot from the FGB-BD compilation in a series of WitFit drabbles. AH. OOC
1. Dear Bella, Dear Edward, Pt1

**Author's Note:**

This is my first ever Twilight fic. Taking a familiar vein from one of my favorite fics, "Dear Mr. Masen" by jendonna, and the epistolary novel, _Griffin__ and__ Sabine_, I hope you enjoy my version of Edward and Bella.

Pre-read and beta'd by Dragon1974UK, SassyK, and SerendipitousMC. I love you ladies!

This appeared in this year's FGB BD compilation. Thank you for all those that contributed to this worthy cause.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**  
><strong>

* * *

><p>February 14, 1979<p>

_**Heart cut out of red construction paper with white lace fringe.**_

To: Isabella Cullen

Be my valentyn.

From: Edward Anthony Cullen

* * *

><p>September 13, 1981<p>

_**The Super Friends Birthday Invitation**_

What: Isabella Marie Swan's 8th Birthday

Where: The Swan Residence

When: September 13, 1981, Sunday at 2:00 pm

Come as your favorite Super Friend.

* * *

><p>November 17, 1986<p>

_**White lined notebook paper, folded into fourths.**_

Dear Bella,

Did you really kiss Tyler at the school dance last Friday? He's saying you did. I made a bet with him that he was lying. Please say you didn't. I don't want to come to school in my Batman costume.

Eddie

PS. If you did, do you think Tyler would take my He Man action figure collection instead?

* * *

><p>September 17, 1988<p>

_**Thank you card with flowers printed in front.**_

Dear Edward,

My mom is making me write these. Thank you for the mix tape you made for me as my birthday gift. I was really glad you put some INXS and Poison on there. That Tiffany shit is just driving me bonkers. But I did like "Waiting For Star To Fall," by that Boy meeting Girl band. Did I get their name right? I was actually surprised I liked it.

Anyway, thank you for the birthday gift. I can play it on the new Walkman my Mom sent me along with these crummy note cards.

Love,

Bella

PS. Do braces hurt? My Dad just told me I need to get them too.

PPS: Oh, by the way, I promised I wouldn't say anything, but Tanya Denali has a crush on you. I just thought you'd like to know that.

* * *

><p>June 17, 1991<p>

_**Under Edward's Graduation Portrait in Bella's copy of the Forks High School Yearbook.**_

Bella-Bo-Bella,

Have a great life! See you around. Good luck at Berkeley! Write me when I'm at Princeton. See you at Homecoming!

Edward

PS: By the way, I never did thank you for telling me about Tanya so many years ago. The past year wouldn't have been as great if it weren't for her.

PPS: You owe me a He Man action figure collection.

* * *

><p>January 1, 1993<p>

_**Lined notebook paper in an envelope.**_

Dear Edward,

Happy New Year! I'm sorry I missed homecoming this year, and Christmas, and as you can see, New Year's. My course load over here is just too much. Plus, money's tight so I can't just get up and leave. Dad said he understood. He doesn't have the extra money to send me a plane ticket from San Francisco to Port Angeles, either.

Dude, I heard from Angela Weber (you know my old friend with the glasses?) that you and Tanya broke up. Sorry to hear that, man. I thought you guys looked good together. Anyway, I hope the new year brings you something good.

There's got to be some hot Princeton chicks, right?

Happy New Year, again!

Bella

* * *

><p>April 17, 1995<p>

University of California, Berkeley

The President, The Faculty

and The Graduating Class of the

University of California Berkeley

College of Engineering

announce the graduation of

_**Isabella Marie Swan**_

on Saturday, the Fourteenth of May

Nineteen Ninety Five

with a

Bachelor of Science Degree in

Computer Science and Engineering

Commencement ceremonies will be held at the

Greek Theater, at 9:30 am

* * *

><p>May 17, 1995<p>

The President, The Faculty

and The Graduating Class of

Princeton University

announce the graduation of

_**Edward Anthony Cullen**_

on Saturday, the Third of June

Nineteen Ninety Five

with a

Bachelor of Arts Degree in

Molecular Biology

Commencement ceremonies will be held at

Naussau Hall, at 10:00 am

* * *

><p><strong>From: <strong>ISwan

**Sent:** December 15, 2001

**To: **EACullen**  
><strong>

**Re:** Class Reunion

Dear Edward,

It was great to see you at the class reunion. It sucks that I couldn't stay longer for Christmas. Things aren't going well here at SAP, so I couldn't stay away from my work for very long. Plus, I have a new project starting up that will need me to travel for a bit.

I noticed you flirting with Tanya! Her boyfriend seemed pretty livid.

It was great to see everyone from the old days. I can't believe I've been away for so long. My work travel schedule is to blame. But, it's my life, gotta live it.

Talk to you soon.

Bella

* * *

><p><strong>From: <strong>ISwan**  
><strong>

**Sent:** January 27, 2003

**To: **EACullen**  
><strong>

**Subject:** NY visit

Dear Edward:

Hey! I'm visiting New York City to check on a project that my team rolled out for one our clients. I'll be there from February 14 to 17, 2003. (I know, right?) Do you think you can take a break from your research at Novartis to squeeze in dinner?

If you have plans that weekend, I'll be fine. Let me know.

Thanks,

Bella

* * *

><p><strong>From:<strong> EACullen**  
><strong>

**Sent:** February 17, 2003

**To: **BellaS**  
><strong>

**Subject:** The weekend.

Dear Bella,

As I am writing this, you're probably fast asleep on the plane back to San Francisco. I miss you already.

This weekend was amazing. I apologize for not being able to take you out more, but I guess we got kinda busy.

I know we didn't talk about what happened before you left. I wanted to, but I didn't know if you wanted to. So, I didn't. Yeah, I'm a chicken.

Look, if you want to talk about it, to figure out where to go from here, let me know. If you don't, and you just want to forget the whole thing, I can do that too. I know life is complicated. Call me when you get home.

Love,

Edward

* * *

><p><strong>From: <strong>BellaS**  
><strong>

**Sent:** February 24, 2003

**To: **EACullen**  
><strong>

**Subject:** Changes

Dear Edward,

Hey! I'm sorry for just getting back to you now. I haven't been dodging your calls. Well… maybe I have. I needed time to think.

When I got back to work, my boss called me into his office to inform me that the US headquarters promotion I wanted was being given to someone else. So I won't be moving to Pennsylvania as I had hoped.

Instead, they offered me something better. They asked me to head our Asia-Pacific consultancy operations out of Singapore. They want to make me Regional Manager! This is crazy! This is huge! I'm leaving by the middle of March.

It'll be a three-year stint, with the possibility of an extension to five years. After that, my boss says I can expect a position at headquarters.

This means, no more traveling! I'll finally be able to stay put in one place for a while. Of course, I'll be staying put in Singapore, that is.

So that sort of puts the brakes on this thing between you and me. I mean, it was just one weekend, it was Valentines, and we were lonely. And drunk. But hey, at least we'll have this memory to remember each other by, right? Who knows what will happen in three years time?

Bella

* * *

><p><strong>From: <strong>EACullen**  
><strong>

**Sent:** February 24, 2003

**To: ** BellaS**  
><strong>

**Subject:** Re: Changes

Bells! That's awesome news. I knew you'd get something good soon.

Look, I really am happy for you. Don't sweat last weekend. We're cool. I promise. I've got some stuff brewing on my side too.

Like you said, we'll have this memory to share. Let's keep it that way.

Hey, you'll never guess who just e-mailed me. Did you know that Tanya moved to Philadelphia last year?

Bella, I really am happy about your news. Good luck!

Yours,

Edward

* * *

><p><strong>From:<strong> "Esme Cullen"

**Sent:** October 20, 2008

**To: **eacullen**  
><strong>

**Subject:** Chief Swan

Edward darling,

How are things? I heard through the grapevine that Tanya finally signed the divorce papers. How is Jane adjusting? I am so happy that you have her for this Christmas holiday. I suppose I must thank Tanya for agreeing to that. I can't wait to see the both of you.

I have some sad news to share with you. Chief Swan passed away a week ago. He had a heart attack. His funeral is this weekend.

Bella is back from Singapore with her son. He looks about 4, or maybe 5, years old and looks exactly like you.

You have some explaining to do. Call me. Now!

Mom

* * *

><p><em>Fin<em>_…_ (or is it?)


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've decided to continue Dear Bella, Dear Edward as WitFit drabbles starting the month of April. I'll try my best to update as often as I can. **

**This story has stayed with me ever since I first wrote the one-shot last year as part of the FGB-BD compilation. I wanted to explore the whole thing and have some fun.  
><strong>

**I hope you'll enjoy my version of Edward and Bella. Not beta'd.**

**Witfit - Brittle**

* * *

><p>1217/2008, Wednesday

Jane squirms and whimpers in her car seat beside Mom. She's tired and uncomfortable and in no mood for the cheer her Nana tries to provide her as we make the last leg of our journey to my parents' house. Even the customary bribe of Esme Cullen's yummy peanut brittle isn't working.

It's been over eight hours since we left our house in Madison, New Jersey. The flights and delays have put Jane and I both on edge. Thankfully, Dad is driving us from the airport to Forks. We're now much closer to our destination.

"We're almost there sweetheart," I assure Jane, turning from the front seat to soothe her knee. She just kicks her legs and continues rubbing her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Just let her be, Edward." Mom smooths the hair on Jane's little head. "She's tired."

She's had it with being strapped and trapped in a moving vehicle. I can't blame her. Even as an adult, I'm already getting antsy and my patience is worn thin. I'm trying my best not to throw my own tantrum. Thankfully, the caramel candied peanuts work for me. It reminds me of how it was when I was a kid. Mom always made a tin of the treat to take on road trips. There's nothing like it to remind me of home.

Home. The sign announcing our arrival in Forks is a truly a welcome sight. For the next two weeks, I'll sleep in my boyhood bed. Wake up to my mom's breakfasts and celebrate Christmas the only way it should; with the people I love the most.

After all I'd been through the past five years it was good to finally be coming back.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Mop<strong>

* * *

><p>1218/2008, Thursday

Waking in my childhood bed is as good as I thought it would be. Though much smaller than what I'm used to now, it's still familiar and comfortable. Except maybe for the crick in my neck from sleeping at an odd angle. Jane climbed in from the airbed and snuggled into my side in the middle of the night.

The smell of pancakes and cooked bacon waft up from the kitchen. Jane is still asleep, but the call of mom's cooking is too much for me to resist.

After tucking her securely under the covers, with pillows stuffed at both sides of her body, I creep down the carpeted steps. The scene is exactly that same as it was every weekend morning. The space seems smaller now though, maybe because we're all much larger.

Mom is at the stove flipping the pancakes and bacon, her back to me. Dad sits at the head of the counter, sipping his coffee while reading his newspaper. Emmett is across from him, reading from a computer tablet. Alice isn't here yet because she's still on her way from Vancouver with her husband, Jasper, and baby, Noah.

I sit at the bottom of the steps, just to take the scene in. _I'm home_.

"Good morning, Eddy-Bear!" Mom's sweet voice comes over the sizzling sounds from the skillet. I cringe at the old pet name she calls me.

"Mom." I roll my eyes, just like I used to. I stand and walk into the kitchen and head straight to the coffeemaker. The tile floor chills my toes as I pour myself a cup.

Emmett stands from his seat and quickly wraps his arms around me, slapping my back. "Eddie! I didn't think you'd be up yet, East Coast time and all." He squeezes me tight in his massive arms. Most of his former muscle mass settles around his midsection now, rather than his chest. He still wears a crew cut.

"I smelled mom's food. I couldn't stay in bed. Besides, Jane's taken over the bed." I rub the top of my head, the strands of my mop of hair catch between my fingers. I take the first stool at the counter and sit. I tuck both feet into the bottom rung of the stool to keep my feet from the cold floor.

"How's the munchkin?" Emmett asks as he sits back down. "The boys can't wait to play with her." He puts back on a pair of gold-rimmed eyeglasses, before picking up his computer tablet.

I nod to him, regarding the glasses. "When'd you start using those?" I lean on the counter with my elbows. Mom drops a plate stacked with rashers of bacon and fluffy pancakes in front of me.

"Just a few weeks," he answers dismissively. Dad snorts looking at Emmett with amusement. Emmett seems defensive of the fact that he now needs assistance with his eyesight and pulls them off.

"There's nothing wrong with them, Em," I tease. "I just never thought I'd ever see you, Deputy Fire Marshal Emmett Cullen, ever wear glasses."

"Yeah, yeah... whatever..." Emmett says with a wave of his hand then lays the folded pair on top of the computer tablet.

Once Mom finishes serving everyone their plates, she grabs her own stool and we all eat. Emmett smacks his lips noisily as he pours a large amount of maple syrup over his pancakes.

"Easy on the sugar, son," Dad reminds him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." He dismisses.

"Rosalie'll flip if she sees that," Mom announces. "She's got him on a low carb diet," she explains to me. I smile.

"You didn't see this, okay," Emmett says to me, pointing to his plate. He quickly gobbles down half a pancake.

As we eat, I look around the room. I see they've updated almost all of the appliances, but most of the furniture still remains the same. The old kitchen table is still tucked by the bay window facing the back yard. In the corner sits an old wooden highchair.

"Whose highchair is that?" I ask.

"Oh it's for Noah," Mom explains. "I got it from a yard sale, just to have something to use. It'll be nice to have a baby in the house again," she gushes. Noah is just about to turn one and this is my first time to meet him.

"The last time a baby walked around this house, it was Alice. If I'm not mistaken, none of my grandchildren were babies in this house. All five of them were born elsewhere." She seems like she's about to tear up.

Emmett and I keep quiet, while Dad holds her hand. None of the grandchildren were born in Forks. Emmett's twins were born in Germany when they were based there while he served in the Army. Jane was born in New Jersey, and Noah in Vancouver.

She officially only has four grandchildren. The fifth one, the one everyone says is my son is Nathan Swan and I'm here to make it official.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**So this going without a beta thing? It's harder and more nerve wracking than I thought. I realized today that the date I put in the previous two chapters reflected 2010. This story is actually occurring in 2008. I apologize for the confusion and have corrected the two earlier chapters. Despite this, this story is still not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Fantastic<strong>

* * *

><p><em>1020/2008, Monday_

_After reading my Mom's e-mail about Chief Swan's death I called her. _

_"I had no idea you and Bella were together?" she asked._

_"We weren't."_

_"But-"_

_"I need to figure this out first Mom. I'll let you know what I find out."_

_I typed in the last personal e-mail address I had for Bella. Within seconds of clicking the "Send" button, a bounce-back message popped up. The error e-mail message said "User Unknown."  
><em>

_Mom said she was still living in Singapore. I didn't know whether she was still working for SAP, but I gave it a try._

* * *

><p><em><strong>From:<strong> eacullen[at]gmail[dot]com_

_**Sent:** October 20, 2008_

_**To:** ISwan[at]SAP[dot]com_

_**Subject:** Chief Swan_

_Dear Bella:_

_I heard about your dad. I am really sorry to hear of his passing. I also heard about something else. Is it true? Please call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx or respond to this e-mail._

_Edward_

* * *

><p><em><strong>From:<strong> ISwan[at]SAP[dot]com_

_**Sent:** October 21, 2008_

_**To:** eacullen[at]gmail[dot]com_

_**Subject:** Out-of-Office Reply: Re: Chief Swan_

_Thank you for your message. I am currently out of the office on personal business and will have limited access to my e-mails and messages. Please direct all your inquiries to my assistant, Jessica Stanley at JStanley[at]SAP[dot]com._

_I will return on November 3, 2008. Thank you._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Isabella Swan_

_Regional Manager – Asia Pacific_

* * *

><p><em><strong>From: <strong> BellaS[at]gmail[dot]com_

_**Sent:** November 2, 2008_

_**To:** eacullen[at]gmail[dot]com_

_**Subject:**_

_Edward,_

_Thank you for your condolences. I am back in Singapore and only got to read my work e-mails. _

_Yes. It's true. His name is Nathan. Here's a picture of him from Kindergarten._

_Nathan and I will be back in Forks for the Christmas holiday to take care of some things. I know it's your parents' fortieth too. We'll talk then. Please do not do anything before we talk. I'm obviously not ready to do this right now._

_Bella_

* * *

><p><em>I thought I was looking at a childhood picture of myself. The color of his hair was the exact same tint of blond as mine in my kindergarten picture. He wore glasses, and the gaze of one eye didn't seem to match the direction of the other. The tightening in my chest was familiar. I felt it when I first saw Jane.<em>

_It didn't matter what my lawyer said. I didn't need a paternity test to tell me that he was my son._

* * *

><p>1218/2008, Thursday

Midway through breakfast, Jane calls for me from upstairs. I bring her down and feed her pancakes and some fruit. I knock the syrup bottle out of Emmett's hands as he pours way too much on her plate. This ingratiates him to Jane instantly. Within seconds, she's sitting in his giant lap, sopping up the syrup with her pancakes.

Mom and Dad eventually leave to pick up Alice and her family at the airport. Jane decides she's done eating and asks to watch some TV. Emmett tunes the set in the dad's old office to the Nick Jr. channel and soon her giggles float into the kitchen.

"So, are you going to go see her?" Emmett asks as he leans on his arms on the counter. He's finally run out of patience for avoiding the topic.

I nod. "I don't know when yet though. I mean, is she here already?"

Emmett nods. "Yeah. Rosalie said she offered to help do the flowers at the church hall for Mom and Dad's party."

"She's friends with Rosalie now?" I ask incredulously. I rinse Jane's plate under the tap.

"Hey, Rosalie's friends with everybody now."

The fact that she's already here and acting like nothing's happened sinks in my gut like a rock. All this cryptic bullshit surrounding Bella is getting to me. I'd tried to make heads or tails about the entire thing, but still could not understand her motivations. Why didn't she tell me? She obviously wasn't interested in a relationship with me, but didn't she think I'd want a relationship with the boy? He _is_ my son.

"There's no doubt about it, you know," Emmett says in a hushed tone. "The kid's obviously yours. He's the spitting image of you. I mean, how'd that happen anyway?"

"What do you mean 'how'd that happen?' You know exactly how _that_ happens."

Emmett shakes his head in frustration. "You know what I mean."

"I don't know. It was just one night. Well… two nights. She came to New York on Valentine's-"

"Valentine's?"

"We got drunk, and it just happened. She went back to California, and then she got sent to Singapore. We never spoke again after that." I put Jane's plate into the dishwasher.

"Was this before you and Tanya got back together?"

"Uh hmm."

"Yeah, but... I mean... I don't understand what happened. First thing, you and Tanya reunite and get married. Then you have Jane... Then before I know it, you're out of a job and divorced." Emmett looks exasperated and confused. "And then... now you find out you have a kid with someone else."

I almost laugh at how discombobulated he looks.

"Your life is like one of those soap operas on TV."

"I know right?" I huff. "You forgot that I managed to start a business in the middle of all that." My life isn't that much of a train wreck.

"I mean, what the hell happened?"

I shrug then move to take a seat on one of the stools. "I don't know. I mean, I got laid off from Novartis when they sold my product group to another company. They gave me a nice severance package, so I decided to invest in a small music school in our town.

"I guess, Tanya just couldn't deal with that whole new set up. At first, I was home all the time, while she went off to work. She started stressing out about the money, and how I wasn't contributing to the family." I recall the concerned looks Tanya gave me each time she came home, finding me in a pair of sweats or jeans.

"Did you need money?"

I chuckle and shake my head. "No."

After about a few months of playing Stay-At-Home-Dad, she told me she had enough. Either I found a job, or she was moving out. "So I took a more active role in managing the music school, even started teaching some beginner piano lessons. It turns out, I love teaching kids music. When I told her I wanted to do this full-time, she just about flipped.

"That just wasn't enough for her. She'd grown accustomed to us earning a certain level of income. With the school, I wasn't earning close to what I was at Novartis. So, she asked for a divorce."

"Just like that, eh?"

I nod. "Fantastic story, isn't it?"

"How's Jane taking it?"

I look over to the hallway where the sounds of a popular kids show about some kids sharing the same backyard are coming from. Jane is singing along with the cartoon. I smile.

"She's okay, I hope. She seems to be adjusting. I think she likes having two houses to live in, not to mention the fact that she gets two of everything. One for each house." The fact that we might be spoiling her is not far from my mind.

"If Tanya asked for the divorce, why'd she take so long to sign the papers?"

"Well, that was my fault. She was offered a job in Paris, at her company's headquarters. She wanted to take Jane with her. I couldn't have that. We needed to discuss that and compromise."

Emmett nodded. It pained me to deny Tanya the opportunity to pursue the job in Paris, but I wasn't going to let go of my daughter.

"So, she gave up the job offer?"

I nod. "But, it was a hard compromise. I can't move away either."

"You're stuck in Jersey?"

I shrug. "I actually like the East Coast. I've got the four seasons, I'm close to New York City, plus my business is there. The schools are great. It's either that, or I lose Jane."

Jane's laughter floats into the room. It reminds me of bubbles popping. I'd go to the ends of the earth to hear that every day.


	5. Chapter 4

**I missed yesterday's (4/5/2012) update because I wound up watching The Hunger Games with my family last night. This is for yesterday. I'll try to catch up tonight if I can. Thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Overgrown<strong>

* * *

><p>Sometime in the middle of the afternoon, my parents arrive with Alice, her husband Jasper, and their son Noah in tow. Noah is just one, with an overgrown shock of curly blond hair that matches his father's. Alice says something about waiting for a certain age to give him his first haircut. Jane takes to the baby quickly and happily makes funny faces to make him laugh.<p>

Once they settle in, Emmett, Jasper, and I head out to the church hall to help set up for our parents' party which is on Saturday. Jasper's relief at being whisked away is obvious. Travelling with an infant can do that to a guy.

Emmett mutters something about Jasper's hair when he thinks we're out of earshot. I just chuckle. In my opinion, if this guy can manage to get along with our sister, with all her eccentricities and peculiar habits, he's a guy worth having around.

When we arrive at the church hall, the rental company staff is unloading folded tables and chairs just outside the service doors. Boxes of beverage service supplies and equipment are also being unloaded. It looks like Mom and Dad's party is going to be the most happening place to be on the weekend.

Rosalie and their twin boys, Jason and William, are already there, helping direct everything. The boys are in their basketball jerseys and I'm surprised at how big they are now. Their size and berth remind me of Emmett as a teenager.

Their mother is still as beautiful as she was when we were in high school. She's grown a tad wider, and her blonde hair is now mixed with different shades of grey.

At Rosalie's instructions we set up the tables and chairs around the room. Soon, all is laid out for the party, waiting for the remaining trimmings that will be handled by Mom and the girls later that night.

"Hey Edward, do you want to hang around for a while before we do the rest?" Rosalie asks. I can tell that she wants to talk. I don't know if I want to hear what she has to say.

"Nah." I shake my head. I check my watch and see that it's getting close to six. "Jane's going to need me. She's not used to being around this many people." I'm sure she's fine with Alice and Mom but I'm more worried about what she wants to talk about. She seems chomping at the bit to tell me what she has in mind, but she's gauging.

"Just say it, Rose."

She lets out a quick breath of relief and then looks around quickly to make sure we can't be overheard. "Bella's coming to help set up the rest of the room."

I nod. "Since when did you guys become so close?"

Bella and I were friends, but we didn't hang out regularly with each other when we were in school. Forks is small, and everyone knows each other, but we each had our own circle of friends. Bella stayed with the book nerds, while I hung out with the science geeks. Emmett and Rosalie were more the garden-type-variety jocks and queens.

"Well, ever since we found out that you're the father of her son. She's family now."

"Family?" I shook my head at how weird it sounded.

"Well, yeah." Rosalie stammered. "I mean, he _is_ your son. You don't doubt it do you? Because -"

Enough Rosalie," I say, holding up my hand to stop her.

"But-"

"Look, Rosalie. I'm not questioning if he's mine. I'm upset about her keeping it from me." My face gets hot. The anger I'd kept at a low simmer is now starting to roll.

"It's not as if I were some deadbeat that ran away from his obligation. I thought she would've known me better than that." The timbre of my voice rising. "She didn't tell me that she was pregnant. If she did, may be things would've been different."

Rosalie's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean different." She thinks she's gotten me to confess to something I'd been keeping. "Did you love her?"

I wince and shake my head. "What? I didn't say anything like that." Bella and I only had a weekend together. It ranks one of the happiest of my life, second to meeting Jane for the first time. Bella telling me she was moving was a low, but I didn't dwell on it. I made myself move on. If I'd loved her, it would have been harder to do that.

"Then what did you mean about things being different? Would you have married her instead of Tanya?" Rosalie's fist rests on her hip.

"Rosalie, you're putting words in my mouth!"

From out of the corner of my eye, I see Jasper walk in then quickly turn around in the direction he came from. I didn't want to make a scene, nor did I want to get into a fight with my sister-in-law.

"I am not!" Rosalie's face is turning red.

"Look Rosalie, all I want to know is why she didn't tell me." I force myself to calm down by lowering my tone.

"Edward. I don't know. Maybe she was ashamed or embarrassed. She'll tell you everything when you talk."

"How come you seem to know so much? Did you know about him?

"Of course not!" Rosalie seems appalled."None of us knew. No one in this town knew! We all found out when Chief Swan died."

I imagine Bella walking into the funeral hall full of townspeople with Nathan with her. What a scene that must have been: the raised eyebrows, mouths gaping, the murmured questions in the crowd.

"What about Chief Swan? "

"Who knows what he knew? He never spoke to anyone other than the people on the reservation. He went into semi-retirement a few years ago and travelled a couple of times a year to see Bella.

"When you saw the boy, didn't you ask?"

"It didn't need to be asked. There was no doubt."

"You didn't feel the need to ask her if I knew."

"If you did, it wouldn't have come as such a shock would it?" Her sarcasm is enhanced by the way she cocks her head and quirks her eyebrow.

"Damn it Rosalie!" I'm appalled by the fact that no one questioned anything. "Did anyone in this stupid town even ask her why her son looked exactly like me and why no one knew about him?"

"No." A voice comes behind me. I know it's her. There's no mistaking it. "And frankly, it isn't any of their business."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you for reading. As for The Hunger Games I really enjoyed the film. The tone was very well set. I haven't read the books so I can't tell which team I should be on yet, but based on the film, I'm liking Peeta a lot.<em>


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Listless<strong>

* * *

><p>Rosalie's eyes widen in horror. I turn and find Bella standing right at the door. She's carrying a bundle of white cloth against her chest. Her face is indecipherable and listless. Not a trace of emotion on the smooth plane of her pale skin. No wetness in her dark, brown eyes. Not even a blush rising up her cheeks and temples. Nothing.<p>

She takes a few casual steps into the room, her eyes steady with mine as she approaches. When she's just a few feet from me, she stops. "It's no one's business but ours."

Suddenly, my anger is washed away by uncertainty.

"Bella-" Rosalie stammers behind me. "I'm-"

Bella looks over my shoulder and nods to Rosalie. "It's alright, Rose. This issue needs to be dealt with now." Bella puts down the cloth bundles on to the closest table, then looks back to me. Her hands go into the pocket of her parka and I hear the jingle of keys. "Do you want to go talk?"

I nod. She turns around and walks out of the hall.

I tell Rosalie that I'll find my way back home and ask her to give me a call if Jane becomes too antsy.I avoid the looks from Emmett and his boys as I walk to Bella's pick up and hop into the passenger side. I catch a glimpse of Emmett pulling out his cell phone from a holster on his belt as I pull the strap of the seatbelt.

Once I'm secure, Bella pulls out of the parking lot and heads onto the main road. We pass the old shops and diner on the way to her Dad's house. She doesn't tell me where we're going. I just figure it's the only private place for us to talk.

The silence in the car is heavy. She grips the steering wheel hard and she twists her wrists anxiously as we wait for the light to turn green at an intersection. Other than her hands, I can't seem to get myself to look at her, so I keep my eyes trained on the tree lines along the road. I don't know how to start the conversation, even though it's all I've been thinking about.

"Why'd you name him Nathan?" I ask. With my hands clasped together, I rub my thumbnail, with the pad of the other. I can't think of a better start to the discussion.

Bella lets out a sigh. "I named him that because he's a gift from God." There's a sense of relief in her voice.

"All kids are."

"No, I mean literally. Nathan means 'gift from God' in Hebrew."

"You're Jewish now?"

"No. I decided to name him that, because he is a gift from God. I was on the pill when we... you know... "

Now is the perfect time to ask, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Here we are!" Bella announces, obviously avoiding my question, as we turn into her driveway. The house looks exactly the same, save for a fresh coat of paint and some obvious landscaping. The driveway seems new too. She's putting some work into the house. All the windows have their curtains drawn but the lights were on inside.

Just before she pulls the lever on the door to exit the truck, I grab her sleeve. "Hey, I asked why you didn't tell me?"

Bella turns to face me. It's the first time I'm actually looking at her up close. There are small crinkles forming at the corner of her eyes. A wisp of grey hair peeks at her temple. Not a trace of make-up on her pale skin. She's still the same Bella I've known all these years. I feel a faint flutter in my stomach.

She relents and leans back in her seat, her head against the headrest. She closes her eyes and lets out a deep breath. "I didn't know how to," she confesses. "I was already in Singapore when I realized I was pregnant. I was in the middle of the move and acquainting myself with a new life. I didn't even realize I was pregnant until I was about three months along the way. Plus…." She falters.

"Plus what?" I urged her.

"I didn't know how you would react. I mean here I was, thousands of miles away telling you that I was pregnant. And-"

"And what?"

"And Tanya was already in the picture." Her statement comes out a whisper.

The timing was about right. Tanya had just moved to the Philadelphia area around the time Bella left for Singapore. She didn't know anyone in the area so I'd drive down on the weekends to see her. It just evolved from there. We got married about a year later. I can't imagine how things could have been different if I'd known about Nathan then. Nevertheless, I still should have known.

"But I could've helped you."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? He's my son. I'd have an obligation to fulfill to you and him."

"How? By sending me money?" Bella seems offended by that. "I didn't need your money."

"I don't know. I mean, if I'd known, maybe things would've been different." Maybe I would've tried something. There's a pang in my chest that reminds me of how I felt when I'd read her e-mail about leaving for Singapore. She was so determined to go. She wasn't interested in anything further, and I was too chicken to try and pursue something with her. I didn't want to get hurt. If I'd known though maybe I would've been braver.

"Different, how?"

"I don't know. I mean, if you'd told me, maybe you didn't have to stay in Singapore and do it all alone?" _Maybe Tanya and I wouldn't have gotten together again._ The thought strikes me. It's the first time I'd thought of it since the split.

"What makes you think I didn't want to stay in Singapore?" she answers hotly.

"Well…." I'm at a loss for words.

"And I wasn't all alone. God, Edward? Were you always this narrow-minded?"

I am stunned silent. I'm disgusted with my own hubris. How dare I think that she would have needed me, or anyone for that matter, to get through it all? Single mothers do it all the time, with great success. How could I think it would be different for Bella?

Bella nods her understanding of my falter. "Look, I understand your whole chivalrous side is up in arms over this, but I really didn't need your help." Her tone is much softer now.

"Edward, I wasn't going to let go of the opportunity to work in Singapore. It was important to me and my career. Once I realized I was pregnant, SAP assured me that they would take care of anything I would need. As part of my posting, almost of all of my major expenses are paid for.

"They pay for a beautiful condo and Nathan goes to an International School. I have a full-time nanny and a housekeeper that comes in twice a week. I have all the help I need. And since I don't travel around as much anymore, I'm able to give him the best of my time and energy."

The fact that Bella is so well provided for at her post is not surprising to me. It's the norm for expatriates when they are posted abroad. There were some executives at Novartis that never came back after their postings because they enjoyed it so much.

Even Tanya attempted to tell me about the great package she was offered for Paris. I didn't listen to her because it meant she would be taking Jane with her. I blocked her from that opportunity. Would I have done the same with Bella?

"Edward, I had everything I needed. I still do. I wasn't willing to change my circumstances, and I sure as hell wasn't going to go change yours. From what I'd heard, you were happy," she said with finality. "And like I said, I wasn't alone."

"What do you mean?"

"I met someone in Singapore towards the end of my pregnancy. He was a financial analyst expat and he was there for me." She's now looking down on her lap. Her hair falls by the side of her head, forming a curtain shielding my view. I hear her sniffle and watch her wipe her tears with the back of her hand.

"Are you still together?" I glance at her fingers; she's not wearing any rings.

She shakes her head. "He died in a car accident early this year," she stutters under a heavy breath.

A sudden sadness comes over me. I am sad for her because she lost two people in her life in the space of a year. Chief Swan's death must have been a shock. I'd thought that finally speaking to her would help, but instead, I'm a jumbled mess. I want to hug her, but I don't. I should be comforting her, but I know I need to be comforted too. I bury my face in my hands trying to block out her sniffles. Right at this moment, I don't know what to do. All I know is that I need to get a hold of myself and face the situation in whatever form it's in. I'm the man. I need to do it.

I scrub my face raw with the palms of my hands and crack open the window beside me to let some air in. The windows are misted over with condensation. The fresh air helps clear the stifling moisture inside the car. I place my hand on her knee and squeeze it lightly. I don't say anything, but I keep my hand on her knee. She's calming herself too, wiping the edge of her sleeves on her face, drying her tears.

I look out through the windshield at the curtained front window of the house, waiting for I don't know what. I chew on the bed of my thumb in one hand, my other one stays on her knee. She leans back heavily into her seat, and her hand covers mine. I wrap my fingers around hers and squeeze tight.

We sit just like that for a few more minutes. There's movement from within the house then a small face, with a pair of spectacles and blond hair peers out the curtain. He waves with a bright smile. My heart beats excitedly.

"Does he know about me?" I ask.

* * *

><p><em>Happy Easter!<em>


	7. Chapter 6

**This was a rather difficult chapter to write. It's a tough topic, and I'm feeling rather nervous about the whole thing. Anyway, here is Chapter 6. Thank you for reading.  
><strong>

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Insist (I'm not using the actual word in the piece, but rather its implication or sentiment.)<strong>

* * *

><p>"Oh shit!" Bella whispers when she sees Nathan's face in the window. She releases my hand and quickly wipes her nose with the sleeve of her shirt. She smiles just enough to hide her emotions and waves to him. "Wave back," she instructs.<p>

I wave too. The look on Nathan's face gives me a warm feeling inside. I feel it too when I do the same with Jane. Another face appears just above him, peering though the window. She leads him away and the curtain flutters closed.

"Who's with him?"

"That's Leah, the nanny. She offered to come with us to help," Bella explains. She tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Does he know I'm his father?" I ask.

"No."

"Who does he think is his father? That guy you lived with?"

Bella winces at my last statement. "Jacob didn't live with us and no, Nathan knows that Jacob wasn't his father."

"How does he know that?"

"Well, I told him." I am irked by how nonchalant Bella is as she says this. "I've tried to be honest with him."

"And not with me," I mutter.

She winces once more. "You can stop throwing punches now, Edward. I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"I can't help it. I'm still reeling from the sucker punch you gave me in my gut."

"Fair enough." Bella adjusts in her seat to face me. She leans her back against her door and looks at me.

"I just don't get it, Bella. Didn't you think I'd want to know about him? Did you expect me to run or shirk my responsibility?"

Bella opens her mouth then shuts it. She closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. "I didn't know what you would think. I was afraid…"

"Afraid of what, Bella?"

"I don't know! Of everything! I didn't know how things would change for me. Or for you. You were moving forward with your life quite happily." It seems like she's about to say something else but changes her mind. She looks down on her lap. "Maybe I was wrong… But it felt like the right thing to do at the time."

"What did your dad say about all this?"

Bella shook her head. "He just told me to do what I felt was right for me. And he supported my decision. He knew firsthand what making the wrong choices because of an unexpected pregnancy could do to a family."

"Did he know it was me?"

Bella nodded. "He's the only one that knew. In the beginning he kept tabs on you and your family and he'd let me know about what was going on. After you and Tanya got married and had a baby, he sort of stopped telling me things anymore."

"Did he tell you that Tanya and I are divorced?"

She shook her head. "That I found out about when Charlie died. I'm sorry to hear about that not working out. I'd always said you made a lovely couple."

I shake my head, not wanting to dwell on that situation for now.

"Edward, I need to tell you something. This might worsen the situation, but I want you to know this, before anything else happens." Bella's voice is slow and deliberate. I feel a quiver in my stomach, like something bad is going to happen. "After the holidays, Nathan and I are leaving Forks to return to Singapore. And we're not coming back."

It's like I've received a swift kick to the balls this time. All the air is sucked out of my lungs. I see now why all this work is going into the house; she's selling it.

Bella's face is fearful and I see the worry in her eyes. I think I'm about to explode, but I try to rein it in by clenching my fists. My back teeth grind painfully against each other. "Why are you doing this?" My voice rings in my ears, and Bella flinches.

"Edward—"

"What the fuck to do you think you're doing, Bella?"

"Our life is in Singapore. I can't take him away from all that. It's our home."

"This is your home, Bella." I point at her father's house, jamming my finger against the windshield. "Forks _is_ your home."

"No it's not, Edward! It hasn't been for a very long lime. And now that Charlie is gone, there's nothing left for me here."

"What about me?" I spat. "I haven't even met my son and you're already springing him away from me? You came here and introduced Nathan to everyone but me! He's our son, Bella!"

"I came here to bury my father and take care of his affairs, Edward!" Bella shouts. The anger rolled off her and struck me hard. "We didn't come here for you!" Her hands are gripping the steering wheel and the head rest. She looks like she's about to pounce on me. "Nathan had a relationship with his grandfather. We came to say goodbye! He doesn't even know you!"

"That's not my fault, Bella! You didn't give me a choice. I'm not going to let you take my son away from me again!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm going to do whatever I need to get my son, Bella! He's my son."

"You just try it Edward! We'll disappear so fast you'll never know where to find us."

With that Bella grabs her purse and holds it tight against her chest. She quickly gets out of the car but I'm out the passenger side door, even before she can close hers.

"Don't you dare try me, Bella!" I edge close to her but stop when I'm about a foot away. She leans back against the fender of the pick-up pulling her purse up close to her face, like she's trying to protect herself. When she realizes that I'm not moving any closer, she straightens herself defiantly.

"It's a good thing I didn't mail that letter the night I flew for Singapore. Then I'd be in the same situation my mom was in when she married my Dad!" She pushes past me and heads toward the steps to the front door.

"What letter?" I reach for her arm to stop her, but she shrugs away from my grasp.

"Take the truck!" Bella turns around and throws the key towards me. It lands on the ground at my feet. "I'll have someone get it from Rosalie's house later. You better not be there!" Bella quickly opens the front door and walks in. The door slams shut.

"Fuck!" I kick the key into some landscaping out of frustration. I scrub my face with my hands as I seethe with anger. The wheels in my head are spinning. I need to stop her from leaving. She has my son, and the only way she's going to keep him away from me is by mowing me down with this very truck.

I'm on the verge of charging the house, when my cellphone starts to ring. I pull it out of my pocket and see that it's my mom. My thoughts quickly turn to Jane. While I'm still boiling with anger, I worry that my little girl needs me.

"What!" I answer brusquely.

"Papa?" Jane's voice comes over the line. "Are you coming home yet?"

I've been gone far too long than she was expecting. If don't get to her soon, she's going to have a fit, and will be pretty hard to calm down. "I'm coming home soon, sweetheart," I say, gritting my teeth to mask my anger.

"But Papa," she whines. "I miss you." My hardened heart blips for a second.

"I miss you too sweetie. I'm on my way."

I decide that it's better to just go home and cool off for a bit. I root around in the new shrubs for the key and find it under a small arborvitae. Out of anger, I manage to pull out the newly planted shrub in order to pick up the key.

I get into the truck and pull out of the driveway. Just before I turn onto the road, I see Nathan peeking out the window again. He waves to me. I wave back. _This won't be the last time, I promise. _

As I drive, I make a list of the things I want my attorney to take care of as soon as possible. It's going to cost a lot of money to get the papers filed quickly. Worst case scenario, I'll have to sue for custody if she won't let me file the recognition papers without a fight. I don't care. Any child of mine is worth fighting for.


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Knot<strong>

* * *

><p>I sit at the old kitchen table with my head in my hands, staring at the scribbled notes from my discussion with my attorney.<p>

He told me that there were several steps to go through, but obtaining some sort of custody arrangement could be done fairly quickly as long as Bella cooperated. If she resists, and goes through with her plan of leaving the country with Nathan, it could get complicated and very ugly. It was going to be a war. There's a knot in my stomach that twists tighter each time I think of the scenarios he described. I gave him the instruction to draw up the first documents needed to establish my paternity for Nathan.

I'd gone straight to my parents' house after leaving Bella's. They already knew that Bella and I had fought because she called Rosalie to inform her that someone would pick up the truck from their house. According to Rose, Bella called me a crazy, selfish bastard. Hell threatened to break loose in the house because of all the opinions being exchanged. Dad finally put an end to it by forbidding us from discussing the matter until after all the little children were asleep.

Over dinner, Mom's despair was obvious. She tried her best to abide by Dad's edict, but as soon as the dinner was over, she quickly left the table saying something about needing to watch Noah sleep. Dad followed her upstairs after a little while.

Emmett, Rosalie and the boys left as soon as the dinner table was cleared and the dishwasher was loaded. While I put Jane to sleep, I heard Jasper and Alice discussing the issue as they got into their car to meet some people. Alice called me an idiot.

The notes and squiggles look like gibberish to me. They have no meaning, just things that need to be done. I inhale deeply, just absorbing what this situation really means. My dad comes in and replaces the house phone on its cradle. "Emmett just called. He said Sam Uley is coming over to pick up Bella's truck in about an hour. Do you want to give me the keys?"

They're still in my jeans pocket. I shake my head. "I'll give it to him when he comes."

He sits down across from me, and clasps his hands together in front of him. His quiet gaze is heavy. He used that look on us whenever one of us did something wrong as kids. I face him, and rest my arms on the table.

"Can't you just let things lie?" he asks.

My back goes rigid. "You mean, just not fight? Dad, she's going to take him and never come back. I'll never see him again."

"She hasn't done that yet, but you're pushing her to do it."

"He's my son, Dad."

"Yes, yes he is. Whether or not you knew about him doesn't change that."

"I want a relationship with him. I'm not a deadbeat."

"If you go forward with this, guns blazing, what kind of a relationship do you think you're going to have with that boy?"

"If I'd known about him, I would've taken care of him. He would be here," I jab my pointer on the tabletop, "with family, where he belongs, not in Singapore."

He leans forward, pulling his arms back. "What would you have done? Edward, if you'd found out about him, what would you have done?" He steely gaze are like lasers penetrating into my head. "Weren't you already engaged to Tanya when Bella gave birth?

I do a quick calculation. I proposed to Tanya during Thanksgiving. Bella would have given birth around that time.

"How would have Tanya reacted to all this?" he asks.

"It's a moot point, Dad. Tanya and I are divorced now aren't we?" I know full well that Tanya would have broken off the engagement if she'd found out about Bella. Suddenly the implication of that becomes clear. Jane would not exist if that had happened. My whole world, as I know it now, would've been obliterated. I fall silent and despair envelopes me.

"Edward, Bella is a very capable person and I'm sure she's doing a great job with Nathan. She made a mistake by not telling you. I think she knows that. But she must have had her reasons?"

I snort. "She says she was afraid of what I would have said. I don't understand what she could be afraid of."

"How about, why she was afraid?"

"Look Dad, I don't doubt that Bella's a good mother." I touch my chest. "I just want to have a relationship with my son. I don't want him growing up thinking I didn't want him."

"He won't, if you do the right thing here."

"What _is_ the right thing, Dad? Tell me?"

"Don't put him in the middle of some tug-of-war with Bella. He'll wind up hating one of you. Use this opportunity to get into his life, and then work on a plan on how to make it work."

"How? She's selling her house here and going back to Singapore."

"That's because there's nothing left here for her. Charlie's dead and she's been gone for a very long time. From what I gathered, she didn't exactly keep in touch with a lot of people here after she left. In fact, I think you're the only one I know that managed to keep a connection with her after she left for college. There's got to be a reason for that.

"Being on her own and Singapore is all she knows. She's made her home there. You can't fault her for wanting maintain that. Would you move back to Forks? You live all the way across the country for God's sake!" He waves his hand across the room.

"That's different."

"How is that different? Your home is there. Your business is there. You've basically bound yourself there by opposing Tanya's plan to move to Paris."

I open my mouth to say something in my defense, but Dad's raised hand stops me.

"I'm not done." His eyes turn very serious, and grave. The skin between his eyes scrunch together as he speaks. "I didn't want to say anything then, because that was between you and your wife, but I thought you exercised extremely poor judgment by doing that to Tanya."

"But-" I couldn't let her take Jane away from me.

"You used your child as a way to punish Tanya for wanting a different life. I was disappointed that Tanya couldn't weather the storm of you losing your job and deciding to go a different route. We all have our motivations. Tanya obviously had issues about a threatened lifestyle. But because you wanted things your way, you blocked her personal career choice. That wasn't fair, son."

"But, Tanya and I were married. We both had Jane to care for. There was nothing between Bella and me. It was a damned weekend for Christsake! It didn't mean anything."

"Now you're offending me, son. I'm a man, but I know I didn't I raise you and Emmett to think that sex was inconsequential." He stands up. The old chair makes a scraping sound across the floor. "I know you, Edward. Deep down inside, you must have felt something for Bella when all this happened. "

My hand goes straight to my face and I rub my chin with my palm. I let out a frustrated growl as I feel the stubble on my cheek. There's a knock on the front door.

"That's Sam," Dad says. "Your mother is up there crying herself to sleep out of fear about losing her grandson. You fix this, Edward. Not everything has to be on _your_ terms. Do what you need to do, but don't you dare wage this war against Bella. It'll tear this family apart."

He walks out of the kitchen to the front door. I hear him speaking to someone. "Good evening, Dr. Cullen."

"Good evening, Sam," he says. "Edward will be right out."


	9. Chapter 8

**I apologize for posting later than expected. Thank you all for reading.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – cringe, fringe, hinge<strong>

* * *

><p>The new police Chief, Sam Uley leans against the fender of a squad car, with one of his deputies at the wheel. I nod at him and he nods back and stretches out his hand, waiting for me to hand him the keys. I keep my hands in my jeans pockets.<p>

"Can I bring the truck back?" I ask. My Dad bids us good night and goes back into the house.

Sam looks confused. "Why?"

"I just want to."

He rubs his chin for a bit, and then steps away from his squad car. "Bella isn't expecting you. I don't think that's a good idea."

"I just want to give the keys back to her in person. If she doesn't want to talk, I'll go home, I promise."

Sam hesitates briefly, and then taps the hood of the squad car. "Meet us at the Swan house," he says to his deputy, who nods and starts the car. "Care if I hitch a ride with you?"

"Sure." I shrug. "Whatever." We walk to the truck that's parked on the side of the road. It's clear he doesn't trust me. I have no idea what Bella's told him and don't blame him for being wary.

We get into the truck and once we're buckled I rev the engine and head on to Bella's. It's just a couple miles from my house to hers. I used to bike past her house on the way to the way to school.

We drive in silence, but I feel Sam's occasional gaze on me. Right behind us is the squad car. I feel closed in.

"Bella's done a fine job with that boy," Sam says out to the blue. "The chief was always talking about them when he'd get back from his trips. He was really proud."

"Yeah!" I say, trying not to show too much interest.

"He's really smart too. Did you know that?" he asks. "The chief said he started reading at three?"

"At what?" I look at him in surprise.

"Eyes on the road, Cullen!"

I turn back to face the road. Bella's house is coming up. It feels weird to hear details about my son from an almost perfect stranger. Sam was one of the "Rez" kids that played football for the town travel team. He's just a couple of years older than Emmett, but no one from school really knew him or his friends.

"You knew about him?"

"Only what her father told me. I finally met the little guy at the funeral. Took one look at him and knew he was a Cullen. You got a good boy there, Edward," he says as he slaps my shoulder blade.

_Of course! _I roll my eyes and shake my head. I can't tell if I should say thank you for the compliment. There's just so much I want to know and learn about Nathan.

We're finally at Bella's house and I turn into the driveway and park. Sam gets out of the truck at the same time I do and we walk together toward the front door. He doesn't ask for Bella's keys, but he blocks my path with his arm as we climb the porch steps. "Let me tell her that you're here first, okay?"

I take one step back down and wait behind him as he knocks on the door. Very quickly the porch light comes on, and I hear the locks being disengaged. She opens the door just a crack, checking, and then pulls it open wider. She's wearing a black crew neck sweatshirt, that's frayed at the neckline and hem. The letters on it are faded and the traces of the outline of the Princeton tiger are all that's left, but yet, I recognize it. It was mine. The fact that she's wearing it throws me off kilter. I thought I'd lost it just before I started seeing Tanya again.

"What's he doing here?" Bella asks Sam.

"He says he wants to give you the keys back personally," Sam explained. "Do you want to talk to him?"

She looks over Sam's shoulder at me. Her eyes are all puffy and her nose is a little red. Her hair is pulled back with a few locks falling over her forehead like a fringe. I drop my gaze, not wanting to antagonize her any further. I notice her red toenails peeking under the hem of her grey sweatpants. _She still wears red nail polish._

"You sure?" Sam asks and turns. I didn't hear her say anything. "We can stay in the cruiser if you want."

"No, that won't be necessary, Sam," she tells him. I look up to see her face. "I think we'll be okay." She looks at me with questioning eyes. I nod.

Sam turns to me, "Will you need a ride back?"

I shake my head. "I'll walk." It's past midnight, but the sky is clear and not too cold. "I can use the fresh air." _And some time to think._

"Alrighty then," Sam says and steps aside for me. "We're doing random patrols around the neighborhoods. We'll swing by again sometime later to check on you guys."

"Thanks, Sam," Bella says.

Sam shakes my hand and he tips his hat to Bella as he walks to the waiting cruiser.

I watch them drive away and stay put on spot on her steps.

Bella clears her throat behind me and I turn. She has her arm outstretched, her hand cupped. "Keys?"

"Here you go." I pull the set from my pocket and hand them too her. They jingle loudly, making me cringe. I worry that the noise might disturb those sleeping inside the house.

"Thanks." Bella crosses her arms across her chest and leans against the door jamb. "Sam said you wanted to talk."

When I decided to bring the truck back, I really didn't have a plan. All I wanted to do was call a truce. "Look, Bella, I went overboard with how I reacted today."

She nods.

"This is all just a shock to me, and I really don't know where to start here. To top it off, you're leaving. I feel like I'm running out of time. I just want to get to know him."

Bella nods. "I understand. This isn't easy for me too, Edward. I know that what I did was wrong. I didn't mean to hurt you or your family." Her sincerity is clear.

"We have a lot to work through in such a short amount of time. I just want to make things right for all of us. Can we call a truce?" I offer.

"I'd like that," she answers softly.

"I want to get to know him and let him know who I am. He has a father, and a sister, cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents that are all just dying to meet him."

Bella's eyes water and glisten under the shine of the light overhead. "But what about Singapore?"

I raise my hand to quiet her. "Let's take it one step at a time. Let me meet him first tomorrow. Jane is going to spend the day with Tanya's parents."

"Okay. For lunch?"

I nod. "Okay." I feel like we've made progress towards figuring things out. Hopefully, we'll work out the rest with the least amount of friction.

"I'm so sorry for not telling you." Bella says as her lower lip quivers.

"Bella—" I take a step closer to her. "One step at a time."

"I'm so sorry." Her tears begin to flow. She tries her best to keep her composure by rubbing the sleeves of her sweatshirt over her cheeks to dry her tears. It's just too much.

I can't help it. I take the last step up to the porch and wrap my arms around her. I say nothing and just let her cry. She whimpers, "I'm sorry for not telling you" in between sobs. I don't want to dredge up any more hurt feelings, so I just rub her back until she calms down. Her guilt and sorrow flows through her tears and the way she shudders as she cries.

She finally feels composed enough to step away from me. "Thank you, Edward," she says as I step back and start down the porch steps.

I take one other step down and turn to her again. She's now back over the threshold, framed by the front door. Despite the emotional roller coaster we've just been on, she still looks as pretty as she did so long ago. I realize it's the first time I've allowed myself to see her the way I last remember her.

"Bella, it's been five years, but, I think you look great in my sweatshirt."

She laughs softly. The sound makes me smile and stirs up the memory of the first time I saw her in it. My cheeks grow warm.

"I'll see you in the morning, Bells."


	10. Chapter 9

**Thank you, Dragon1974UK and SassyKathy. For everything.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Material<strong>

* * *

><p><em>215/2003, Saturday_

_It's dark out, when I wake. The distinct smell of cooking garlic floats through the air coming from my kitchen. I'm alone on the couch in nothing but my boxers and flannel blanket covering my chest. _

_I sit up and look around the room. It's been tidied up. The research papers and books I usually have strewn over my coffee table are stacked neatly on top of each other. My winter jacket is slung over the arm of the loveseat, and my boots and Bella's stand side-by-side at the foot of one of the walls near the foyer. Her purse sits on one of the armchairs with her jacket neatly folded under it._

_I stand and wrap myself in the flannel blanket, it's material soft against my bare skin, and walk to the kitchen. She's at the stove with her back to me. Her damp hair forms a dark mark on the back of one of my old sweatshirts from college. She's wearing a pair of my boxer shorts and her feet are bare. The washing machine rumbles in its place behind the pantry. She's humming a tune and wiggling her hips in time to the beat in her head._

_I'm mesmerized. I just wanted to keep watching her, cooking in my kitchen, wearing my clothes. _

_She startles when she turns around on the way to the refrigerator. "Oh! I didn't see you there."_

_I nod. "Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you." I rub the back of my neck._

_"How long have you been up?" she asks as she pulls out some half-and-half from the ref. _

"_Just a couple of minutes." I attempt to stifle a yawn with the back of my hand. "How about you?"_

"_Oh, maybe, an hour or so. Not much longer than that." She pulls open one of the drawers looking for something. _

"_What do you need?" _

"_A whisk?" _

_I point to the drawer to her left. "One more over to the left." _

_She pulls it open and just before she grabs the whisk she looks up. "You don't mind, do you? I got hungry after taking a shower and scrounged around for some stuff. You had a bunch of vegetables that looked a bit withered so I decided to make some soup."_

_"No, not at all. Please, you're doing me a favor. Is there anything I can do to help?"_

_She pulls out the implement and returns to the stove. She pours the half-and-half into a cup and adds some of the broth into it and stirs. "No, I've got it pretty much handled. You've got a pretty well stocked pantry by the way? Should I be worried about some girlfriend tucked away somewhere?" She eyes me suspiciously as she pours the tempered cream into to the rest of the soup and whisks it in._

_I chuckle and roll back on my heels. "No girlfriend. I like to cook." _

"_That's cool."_

_The clothes washer dings. "You're doing laundry too?"_

"_Our clothes were all wet, and my overnight bag is still in your car, which is still at the bar. I hope you don't mind my using your clothes in the meantime?" _

_If she only knew how cute she looked in my stuff. "You can use anything you need." _

_The bar we'd gone to after I picked her up was having an Anti-Valentine's Party. The barkeep enforces a locked key box policy during special events. Each driver had to drop his or her car keys into the locked box. When time came to leave, the barkeep would have to open the box to hand over the keys. If he felt the patron was too drunk, he could refuse, then would call a cab service, or have someone else drive. I'm pretty sure that Bella and I were sufficiently tanked, therefore, we walked home. The bar is only a few blocks from my townhouse._

_" We'll go get it after dinner. Then I'll drive you to your hotel." The original plan was to bring her to her hotel near the airport after dinner last night. _

_An odd look ghosts over Bella's face before she nods. "Okay." _

_I just stand there. There's something happening between us, but I can't put my finger on it. I 'm happy she's here. She seems to fit perfectly; in my house, in my clothes. I wonder where else in my life she would fit perfectly. _

_I excuse myself to take a shower. Bella assures me that dinner will be ready when I'm done. _

_In the bathroom, I let the shower heat up before getting in. As I strip, I realize that she's emptied the hamper as well. When the hot water hits my skin, I feel a sting on the around back side of my waist. As I towel off, I examine my skin in the mirror, and find faint scratch marks all over my back. Some in the area of my lower back, and another set right under my shoulder blade. The image of Bella under me, lying on the floor of my foyer flash back at me. _Did we?

_A small cosmetic bag lies on the vanity with a travel toothbrush and travel-sized tube of toothpaste sitting beside it. I smile at seeing these little mundane things. I realize I've missed having someone in my life. My research work has been so busy and fulfilling that I really hadn't noticed how long it's been since I've been with someone; until now._

_I brush my teeth and tongue until I get rid of the cotton-woolly feeling in my mouth. I even shave off the stubble that's grown at the edge of my jaw and chin. I throw on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved henley t-shirt. Normally, I'd wear the black sweatshirt with the tiger on it, but it's what Bella has on, so I find a hooded zippered sweatshirt, and go down stairs. _

_Bella has set up a nice little spread on the counter top. Steam twirls in the air from the bowls of soup placed at each setting. A salad bowl of greens and tomatoes sits in the middle. She's sitting on a bar stool rolling a pair of spoons and forks into table napkins. _

_"Hey!" I announce myself just before I walk into the kitchen. I don't want to startle her again._

_She looks up and smiles softly. "Hey." _

_I take my spot beside her and unfurl the table napkin and spread it on my lap. "This looks great, Bella. Thanks."_

_I pick out a nice bottle of white wine from my cooler to complement the meal. The soup and salad is very good. The conversation is even better. The party we'd gone to wasn't the perfect situation to catch up, but it was the only place I could get a table, and it was still a lot of fun._

_Her work as a consultant for the database company, SAP, is fulfilling. She's enjoying it, but is starting to tire of the constant traveling. She's just put in an application for a permanent location position. She's hoping to hear on a position at the company's US headquarters in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. _

_My own work on the time-release trans-dermal patch for patients suffering from dementia and alzheimers is finally paying off. We're in the trials phase and much closer to bringing the product to market very soon._

_She doesn't go home as often, but is fine with it. She's managed to convince her dad, Chief Swan, to travel and visit her on some of her assignments. She'd brought him Prague last year. _

_When I tell her that Emmett's returned from Germany and has twin boys with Rosalie Hale, she rolls her eyes. "Figures," she says. " They were the beautiful couple of Forks." She tells me that she's always liked Alice, and is happy that things were working out well for her in design school._

_After exchanging a bunch of stories about people that went to school with us, I decide to take the plunge to bring up the topic of last night. "So, tell me, Bella Swan, do you realize you scratch when you have sex?" I joke. _

_Bella's face turns beet red immediately and she covers her face with her hands. "Oh my God! We did do it, didn't we?"_

"_I have the scratch marks to prove it."_

_She peeks behind her hands. "Was I any good?"_

"_You don't remember?" I tease. I can't remember a thing either. All I have is the image of her on the floor._

"_It might be the reason why I have this bump on the back of my head." Bella reaches behind her head. _

"_You have a bump?" Worried that I might've given her some sort of concussion, I stand to check the back of her head. She bows her head before me. I move closer and spread her hair and palpate the back of her head looking for a tender spot. She puts her hands on my waist and leans the top of her head against my chest. "Does this hurt?" I aske as I gently press on a small bump. _

"_A little," she nods her head, which rubs against my chest. A jolt of electricity instantly flows through my veins. She hisses, like she's feeling it too._

_I let go of her, and step back. She does the same, but keeps her head down. "Bella." I lift her head with my finger under her chin to look at me. She looks up, but keeps her eyes closed. "Look at me please."_

_She opens her eyes, and her pupils are dark. Her hands on my arms are burning my skin. I rub my thumb under her lip, and trace the back of my fingers on her jaw. She inhales deeply. _

"_I don't want to bring you to your hotel tonight," I say. She nods. It's just enough to let me know that she doesn't want me to either. _

_My lips are on hers, and this time, I remember how it feels._

* * *

><p><em>Long after Bella's fallen asleep, I'm still awake, staring out the window. Her head rests on my shoulder, her arm drapes over my tummy. I play with her hair with my fingers. Her body is snuggled against mine with her leg resting over mine and the softness of her breast against my skin. There are no stars in the sky, just a blanket of grey heavy clouds. The only sound is her breathing and the rhythmic hum of my heating system kicking in at the temperature set on the thermostat. <em>

_I don't know what I'm feeling inside. Is she expecting something more after this? Am I? Her work requires her to travel a lot and it didn't seem like she's ready to stop. I like where I am now. My gut feeling is that I want try this thing, whatever it is, with Bella. Does she feel the same way? _


	11. Chapter 10

**All I can say is, "Being sick sucks. Big time!"**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Suffer<strong>

* * *

><p>1219/2008, Friday

Tanya's parents arrive early to pick-up Jane for a day of shopping. Eli, Jane's grandfather, exchange pleasantries with me, and then Dad as I strap in Jane's car seat into the backseat of their Mercedes. I had a pretty good relationship with my former in-laws and they've never given me a reason to feel ill toward them, despite the divorce. I watch as Jane skips between Eli and Carmen, on their way to the car.

They said to expect them to return before dinner.

I return to the kitchen to clear out Jane's breakfast plates, and find Mom sitting at the table by the bay window. She's looking out the window with her chin in her hand. Her elbow perched on the table. A hot mug of coffee sits in front of her, the steam swirling in the air.

"Just leave that stuff, Edward," she says, but doesn't turn to face me. "I'll take care of it."

Despite her request, I go ahead and put the plates into the sink, and then I join her at the table.

"Mom." I coax her to look at me. "Everything is going to be fine."

"Is it?" She finally turns to me and the forlorn look in her eyes breaks my heart. I hate seeing her suffer like this. I hold her hand that rests at the table. I remember how small my hand used to seem compared to hers. She still has graceful long fingers and perfectly trimmed nails but now the lines and spots of age change the texture of her skin. Her hair is now mostly silver, but she still keeps it nicely styled at shoulder length. "I just can't help thinking, all these years, Edward."

"I know, Mom."

"I just don't want to lose him again." Her other hand covered mine.

"We won't, Mom. I'll make sure of it."

She smiles at my assurance. "Just promise me you won't drive them away, Edward."

"All I can promise, Mom is that I'll do what I can to make work for everyone."

She nods and then brushes some wayward hair off my forehead with her fingers. "He looks just like you."

I smile. "It seems to be the consensus around here."

"You know, I always had this feeling that something would happen between you and Bella. I just never thought it would be like this."

I'm surprised by her admission. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. There was always this connection between the two of you. I could never put my finger on it, but it was always there. I can't say that I wasn't surprised that all this happened."

"You weren't surprised that I'd have a child out of wedlock?"

"That's not what I meant. _That_ took us all by surprise, but the fact that it was with Bella didn't seem so foreign to me. Do you know what I mean?"

I nod.

She observes me with curiosity. "Tell me Edward, did you have any feelings for Bella when this happened?"

"Well, I liked her. I toyed with the idea of maybe trying to make a go of it." It's the first time I've ever spoken about my feelings for Bella aloud. Mom's face turns expectant. "But she wasn't interested…"

Her eyebrows scrunch together. "How'd you know she wasn't interested?"

"Well, she jumped at a chance to move to Singapore, Mom. I don't think there's any clearer way to say that."

"Did she know you felt something for her? Did you tell her?"

I shake my head. "Not in so many words. I sort of put things in her hands and she tossed it back saying she was moving to Singapore."

"And that was it?"

I nod. "That was it."

"You didn't try to do anything later? Like call her, or keep in touch?"

I shake my head. She seems disappointed.

"Mom, I can't think of what I might have done, or could've done, or even should have done then anymore. It is what, it is. We just have to move forward and somehow figure out how this will work out for everyone."

She nods.

"I'm going to go meet Nathan now at Bella's, okay?"

"Are you nervous?"

"Of course I am. I mean, I wonder if he'll know I'm his dad, or if he'll like me."

"I'm sure he will, Edward," she squeezes my hand. "I've met him, and he's very well mannered."

"Does he know you're his grandmom?"

She shakes her head. "He just knows I'm a friend of his grandfather's. Just ask Bella if she'll let him walk down the aisle with us during the ceremony tomorrow. She already told me she would, if he wanted to, but after yesterday, I worried that things might have changed."

"I'll talk to her, Mom."

"It would really mean so much to me if he would," she said.

* * *

><p><em>This was supposed to go much further than this, but it would've gone on too long. <em> _Thank you for reading!_


	12. Chapter 11

**I'm finally getting back to feeling more normal. Thank you to all of you who are reading and following this story. I hope you continue to enjoy it.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Extension<strong>

* * *

><p>I arrive at Bella's house sometime before eleven o'clock. After a few rings on the doorbell, the door is answered by the young lady Bella identified as the nanny. She has a pleasant looking face with dark almond shaped eyes. Her skin is moderately fair, and her dark hair is tied back into a bun. She's wearing printed scrubs and a cardigan.<p>

"Mr. Cullen?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Ms. Bella is in the kitchen preparing lunch, I'll let her know you're here." She closes the door behind us and walks behind the wall to the kitchen. Except for the freshly painted beige-ish walls, the house still looks like it's in its original state, complete with the well-worn, out-of-date furniture. Cardboard boxes sit in front of some of the cabinets and shelves.

I approach one of the shelves and look into the open box. In it are stacks of books and old picture frames containing images of Bella and Nathan. I pick up one that contains a picture of the Chief carrying Nathan in his arms. He looks so happy staring at his grandson, swaddled in a baby blue blanket.

I flip through more photographs that show the Chief with Bella in different parts of the world. He obviously did a lot of traveling to see her. I stop at a picture that shows him with Bella, and a toddler-aged Nathan being carried by a tall man I don't recognize. He's Asian, with a darker skin tone, and an awfully bright smile. By the way Nathan's arms wrap around his neck, it is clear that this was someone he knew well. _This must be Jacob._

I put the pictures back in and look around again. Against a wall is an electronic keyboard on its stand. It's plugged in to an extension cord that leads somewhere and the power light is on. Some sheet music is propped against the music bar. I can't help myself from playing a few notes of the refrain to the first song that comes to mind.

"Oh my God!" Bella says from behind me.

I stop playing "Waiting For A Star To Fall," and turn around quickly. She's leaning against the jamb of the door-less entry way to the kitchen, a kitchen towel in her hands.

"That song was on the mix tape you made me for my fifteenth birthday. I used to play that song over and over."

"You remember that?" I run my fingers through my hair as I plunge my other hand into the back pocket of my jeans.

"Of course. That was the best gift I got that year, aside from the Walkman my mom gave me."

I smile shyly. "I'm glad you liked it. Even if you didn't invite me to your party that year."

"That's because you pushed me into the pool at the rec center, you idiot! I was so mad at you. I thought I could've killed you then."

The image of Bella in tears, sopping wet after climbing out of the pool came back to me. I had done it on a dare by Tyler who'd kept bugging me. She pummeled me so hard with her fist that my arm was sore. "So you've always had this angry streak in you, haven't you?"

Bella smiles at my comment, but doesn't say anything. I stand there awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. Thankfully, she makes the next move.

"So, I've prepared some lunch for us. Leah's getting Nathan ready and will bring him down in a bit."

"Okay," I fidget a little. "So, how do we do this? I mean... I don't think it would be a good idea to say that I'm his Dad right off the bat, do you?"

Bella smiles. "No. Let's just take it slow. I'll just introduce you as Edward, an old friend, then let's take it from there. I'd let him take the lead, if I were you."

"Okay." I nod and suddenly have this urge to check myself out in a mirror to make sure I look presentable. There aren't any. "Do I look okay?" I ask as I run my hands over my shirt. I try to tame my hair by combing through it with my fingers. I take a deep breath in then out and hear Leah and Edward coming down the stairs. They're speaking in Chinese.

I look at Bella in surprise. She smiles with pride.

Leah leads Nathan to us and holds his hand as Nathan and I look at each other. He is wearing a pair of rimless eyeglasses, but an eye patch over his right eye. He tilts his head to the side as he takes me in. His eyebrows scrunch together.

"Nathan," Bella finally speaks. "This is my friend Edward, and we grew up here together."

Nathan reaches his hand to me. "Good morning, sir."

I take his little hand and shake it gently. I'm filled with pride at my son's demeanor.

All four of us sit down at the dining table and enjoy a homemade lunch of chinese noodles with sautéed vegetables and a roasted chicken that has a surprisingly crisp skin. Slices of lemon and a small saucer of salt and pepper sit beside the platter. Nathan eats heartily and is quite adept with the chopsticks.

Leah eats quietly, and stands up on occasion to refill our glasses with water and some juice for Nathan.

Every so often, I catch Nathan staring at me with his uncovered eye. He watches as I fumble with my own pair of chopsticks. He giggles when I drop one to the floor. Leah quickly stands and picks it up. She goes into the kitchen and returns with a spoon and fork.

"You think that's funny?" I ask him with a smile.

"Yes," he answers. "Don't you know how to use chopsticks?"

"Nathan, that's not very polite." Bella chides.

"Well, I don't get to use them as often as you seem to. Do you eat with chopsticks all the time?"

Nathan nods as he picks up some noodles and shoves them into his mouth. "See."

I nod more with pride than in agreement. "You'll have to teach me how to use them then."

"_Jie-jie_ taught me," he says and looks at Leah. I am not sure what he just said.

"That's 'older sister' in Mandarin," Bella explains. "That's what he calls Leah."

I nod. The fact that my son speaks Mandarin impresses me.

"So do you speak Chinese all the time?" I ask Nathan. Now armed with a spoon and fork, I am able to enjoy the noodles Bella prepared. They are very tasty, and the vegetables are cooked perfectly with a crisp in each bite.

"Not all the time. I speak English most of the time," he clarifies as he bites out of a chicken wing, expertly held between the two sticks. "What language do you speak?"

I laugh. "I speak English only. Although, I'm pretty good at understanding toddler-speak." I glance over at Bella, who seems amused.

"What's toddler-speak?" Nathan asks as he chews.

"Don't speak with food in your mouth, Nathan," Leah says. Nathan quickly chews his food and swallows, then repeats the question.

"That's just a joke. It's what Jane speaks."

"Who's Jane?" he asks.

"She's your s-"

"Jane is Edward's daughter." Bella interrupts. Leah turns her head down, like she's trying not to listen. I scold myself for not being more careful. It's too soon to blurt out that he has a sister.

His eyes grow big. "You have a daughter? How old is she?" He seems excited by the prospect of a playmate.

"She's three," I say. "Would you like to meet her?"

"Does she like to play?" The eagerness in him is clear. I wonder if he gets to play with other children as much.

"Yes, she does."

"What does she like to play with?"

"Sometimes dolls."

He frowns. He doesn't seem to like that. I look at Bella, who is biting the corner of her bottom lip.

"Does she like to play with Legos? I like Legos. Do you like Legos? I can build some really nice buildings." The excitement in his eye shines through. "What's her favorite color?"

"Um. Right now, I think she likes the color pink, and violet." These are the colors that are most prevalent in her room and her clothes.

Nathan shakes his head. He seems disappointed. "I don't have any pink Legos. Do you think she'll like blue Legos?" He seems to be worried by the prospect of not having something that might please her.

"Nathan," Bella says. "I am sure she won't mind blue Legos." Bella glances at me worriedly. I don't really understand what's happening, but Nathan seems to become more fretful by the minute.

"But she won't want to play with the Legos if they're not pink." Nathan looks like he's about to cry. Leah moves toward him and holds his hand.

"'You have lots of white Legos," she says. "I am sure she'll like them."

I feel Bella's hand on my knee from under the table. The scene is alarming, but it's clear she wants me to chime in to help comfort him.

"She'll love the white Legos. Maybe... Maybe you can make her a white house for one of her dolls. I am sure she'll like that."

This seems to calm him a bit. He nods.

"Why don't you bring some when you meet her. I'm sure Jane would love to learn how to build something with you."

"When do I meet her?"

"Tonight, if you'd like." I look back at Bella, hoping for her approval. I'm probably jumping the gun by forcing them to meet tonight, but I had to take the chance. "All my nieces and nephews are going to my parents' house tonight, maybe you'd like to meet them too?" Nathan nods and looks at Bella eagerly, too.

Bella hesitates, and then nods. She looks down at her plate, and pushes some noodles around with her chopsticks. I'm pleased, but worried by Bella's reluctance. I promise myself to tread carefully during the rest of the visit. This truce I have with her is precarious. Anything could set us off course.

"Was that you playing the piano?" Nathan asks.

"Uh-hmm." I nod.

"I play the piano, too."

I chuckle. "You do? Do you like it?"

Nathan nods happily. "I'm still learning, but mommy says that if I set my mind to it, I can be good at anything."

"She's right, you know. My mom said that to me too."

I recall the sheet music at the keyboard. It wasn't a song that kids usually played. There's so much I'm discovering about my son in this brief moment, and yet, there's still so much to know.

"Can you show me?" Nathan looks like he's about to jump out his chair and run to the keyboard. Leah holds on to him again to keep him in his seat.

"Hold up," I say. "Let's finish our lunch, and I'll play you a little something."

"Okay," he answers. "Can I play something for you too?"

"It's a deal," I say as I offer him my right hand to shake. He grabs it and shakes it.

"It's a deal," he says happily.

I take a chance to look at Bella. She's stopped eating and seems lost in her thoughts as she watches Nathan resume eating. A tear rolls down her cheek.


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Snag<strong>

* * *

><p>After lunch Nathan and I play a few songs on the keyboard. He's still learning the basics, but can see that he has a natural affinity to music. His sense of timing is remarkable and I can feel the focus and concentration he pours into his piano playing. We play a very simple version of <em>Fur Elise<em> together, and when we finish, he holds down the keys until the last note fades completely. He abruptly pulls his hands off the keys and folds them on his lap.

I'm ecstatic and excitedly put my arms around him. "That was great, Nathan!" I squeeze him tightly into my side. He squirms against me, and he grunts as he pushes me away. I let go quickly.

Bella's quick to put her hand on his shoulder. "That's okay, Nathan. He was just really excited."

"Can I play now?" Nathan asks as he squirms off the bench. He looks at me, then at Bella waiting expectantly.

I am about to say yes, when Bella says it for us. "Sure. You should get some rest too if we're going to Edward's parents house for dinner. It might be a late night for us, okay?"

"Okay!" Nathan says and he heads to the steps to the second floor. Leah follows him up the stairs.

Bella watches as they go. Once they're gone, she seems relieved, though she's apprehensive about something.

"What's wrong, Bella?" I want to touch her, to comfort her someway, but I don't know how.

She shakes her head. "Nothing. I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed, I guess."

"About what?"

"Everything, Edward. Your meeting him today, and then tonight, Jane and the rest of the family." She walks back to the dinner table, which has now been cleared of our lunch. Two mugs and a tea pot sit in the center of the table. She sits, and rests both elbows on the tabletop. She rubs her eye with the palm of her hand. "I just don't want it to be too much for him."

"Too much for him? Or too much for you?" I take a seat across from her. I pick up the pot and pour her a mug full of tea. She wraps both hands around it as she pulls it toward her. She inhales deeply before she sips. I pour one for myself too.

"You're right, I guess." She lowers her mug. "I'm just so used to things being just us; me, Nathan and Leah. Now, there seems to be so many other people around. I'm feeling a little crowded. He's got to feel the same way."

I nod. "So, tell me about Nathan. From what I've seen, he's obviously got a lot going on in his little mind. Is it true that he started reading when he was three?"

Bella explained that at a very early age, his caregiver noted that he exhibited some above average processing skills. He could quickly identify shapes, colors, numbers and letters. One day, they told her that he could read. Bella thought that he had just memorized the words and what they looked like. But one night, as she was reading to him from a new book before bed, he read to her several words on the page. He's now reading at first grade level and is learning math concepts.

Along with his gifts come challenges. He sometimes gets agitated when there are loud noises or too many things going on at once. He doesn't like certain textures on his hands, like things that are sticky. He won't settle down until he's washed or wiped off whatever it is that bothers him. He fixates on things, like specific toys, or characters on TV.

A developmental neurologist ruled out Autistic Spectrum Disorder, but hasn't ruled out sensory integration disorder. It's the reason she hired Leah, who is actually a special education specialist. She provides the therapies he needs to develop the coping strategies to overcome some of his issues.

Playing music is one of his therapies, apparently. As well as playing with concentration enhancing toys, such as the Legos. He still gets agitated when he feels smothered, which explains his squirmishness when I tried to hug him suddenly.

"And you've been doing this all by yourself?" I'm astonished by all she's handled so far.

"I never really felt alone, Edward. Jacob was there," she explained. "And when he died, Dad came to help whenever he could…" Her voice trails off. She seems exhausted suddenly. "It's really only now that I am feeling on my own, but it's not that bad."

"Bella, all I want to do is help."

She looks up and keeps her gaze locked on me. We just look at each other and say nothing. It seems like she's searching for some truth in my face; possibly sincerity? I hope sees that I am.

* * *

><p>I head on out while Nathan takes a nap, so I can help with some of the final preparations for the party. Bella promises to arrive at the house at seven. When Jane gets back from her shopping trip, she's ecstatic when I tell her that someone is coming to meet her. She quickly goes through her new shopping bags and shoves a new bright pink tutu, and a pair of fairy wings into my arms, telling me that it was what she wants to wear for her play date.<p>

Bella arrives right on time with Nathan and Leah. Right behind them comes Emmett and Rosalie and their boys. Each one carrying a boxes of party favors ready to be wrapped after dinner. It's the reason mom wanted us all to be home the night before the party.

Nathan is a perfect gentleman when he shakes hands with my parents. He seems startled by the sheer size of Emmett and his boys, but shakes their hands nevertheless. I see the proud smile on my father's face as he watches the little version of me. Mom can't help herself and attempts to hug him. This takes Nathan by surprise and sure enough, he wriggles against her and pushes her away. He quickly goes to Bella, who is ready to comfort him. He wraps his arms around her legs and she pats his head and rubs his back up and down.

My mom looks at me curiously. "He doesn't like to be smothered," I explain softly. My father nods his understanding of what it all means. As a pediatrician, I am sure he recognizes the issues.

My mom mouths the words "I'm sorry" to me and Bella.

"It's alright, Esme," she says. "He's just getting used to everyone." She turns Nathan around so his back is leaning against her legs. She drapes her arms over his shoulders, her hands cross over his chest. He looks up at everyone curiously, but he gives me a smile that tells me he trusts me.

"Is he here?" Jane runs into the living room from the kitchen. Alice is right behind her, carrying Noah at her hip. When Jane sees Nathan, her face lights up like she has a new toy.

I motion for Jane to come to me, and I hold her hand as we approach them. Nathan's eyes bug out as he watches my little curly haired, fairy-fied princess bouncing toward him.

It seems as if time stops and not a sound is heard when they come face-to-face. I realize we're all watching in anticipation as the two kids eye each other. In what seems more than coincidence, they tilt their heads in the exact same way, just in opposite directions. They seem to be sizing each other up. I can barely breathe from worry that we might have hit a snag in the plan.

"Jane," I say. "This is Nathan."

She tilts her head in the other direction, and Nathan does the reverse.

"Nathan," Bella goes down to her knees, so her head level matches that of Nathan's. Her hands are on his shoulders. "This is Jane. What do you say?" She moves his arm slightly, coaxing him to shake her hand.

"How do you do, Jane?" Nathan says and offers his hand to shake. Jane looks at it, then looks at me. I nod to let her know it's okay.

She takes his hand and she does some weird movement that's a cross between a bow and curtsy, like the princesses do in her movies. "Hello Prince Nathan," she says. "Welcome to my castle."

Everyone laughs at her little show. Nathan's face flushes at being called Prince. The mood in the room is a cross between relief and hilarity. Jane's sense of humor reminds me very much of my sister, Alice's. Always a jump and twirl in her step.

Soon, Bella is hugging my parents, then Alice, then Rosalie. Suddenly, it seems like everyone's old friends. Bella even carries little Noah for a bit, while Alice leads the kids and Leah to the back room where they can play. Leah carries a big plastic bin of Lego blocks with her.

Once they're settled, we all transfer into the kitchen, where mom has prepared some hors d'oeuvers and wine. Bella, Rosalie, and Alice sit beside each other and fall quickly into conversation with my mom. Emmett quickly passes beers to Jasper, Dad and me, and some soda for his boys. I just stand there, half-listening to the conversation. The other part of me is trying to figure out how to keep this peace between Bella and me. We're making progress and I don't want to derail it.

I walk over to the backroom where the kids are playing. Nathan and Jane are working on some sort of Lego building together. Jane's wings are constantly fluttering against him, while he's swatting them away from him. He doesn't seem too perturbed by them though, which is good.

I hear Bella's laugh coming from the kitchen. The sounds of family make me dizzy with happiness. It's been a while since I've felt this much joy.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you so much for reading.<em>


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Bag<strong>

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><p>1220/2008, Saturday

The strains from the violins come through the thin walls of the church's ante-room, where the family is congregated. Bella adjusts Nathan's little necktie over his blue shirt and she adjusts the back of his dark grey trousers to make sure that it doesn't ride up. Jane is fussing about the ring of flowers Rosalie has pinned to her head. So I'm trying to keep her from pulling it out and messing her hair.

"Thank you so much Bella for letting Nathan walk down the aisle with us," Mom says to Bella. She's holding Bella's hand with both of hers. "It means so much to me for all the grandchildren to be together." Mom makes sure to soften her voice when she says the word "grandchildren." Bella and I are working towards explaining to Nathan and Jane that they're actually siblings. Last night, she agreed that we had to tell them sooner rather than later.

The music change indicates that it's time for the family to march down the aisle. Bella gives Nathan a big kiss on the head, and whispers something to him. She turns to me and quickly tugs at the knot on my own tie, and brushes a lock off my forehead with her fingers. "Keep an eye on him, okay. He's feeling nervous."

I smile, more at the fact that she took a moment to primp me, than anything else. "I will."

Bella smiles and then brushes off something from my jacket's shoulder. There's a stirring in my stomach as I take in how lovely she looks right now. Her hair has some curls in them and is swept off her forehead into a flower shaped barrette with glittering stones. Her cheeks are pinked with blush, and her lips glisten with lipstick. Her eyelashes sweep as she blinks.

It seems like she's reluctant to move, but Rosalie is now urging us all to get into formation. Her gaze seems to trace from by chin to my eyes. "I'll see you inside," she whispers just before she runs out of the room to find her seat in the small chapel.

Rosalie arranges each family to walk out first before Mom and Dad make their grand entrance. Rosalie's boys go first, then she and Emmett. Nathan and Jane, then I right behind them. Alice, Jasper and Noah follow directly behind me.

Once the opening strings of _Like The First Day_ by Andre Gagnon play, the sound of creaking seats and a whoosh of fabric is heard as the congregation stands at attention. There's a distinct crisp, green smell in the air, as Rosalie's decorated each pew with sprigs of fresh rosemary and pine, wrapped with white ribbon.

As the twins and Rosalie and Emmett walk down the aisle, there's a hush in the crowd, and then soft admiring comments as the two handsome young Cullen boys make their way to the front of the altar.

A rumble starts when Nathan and Jane start walking down the aisle. The room is full of shocked expressions. I catch a glimpse of Tanya's parents with their astonished looks. As we move down the aisle, I notice that once the guests see us, they instantly turn their heads toward Bella. She notices the looks too, but focuses her concentration on coaxing Nathan down the aisle. He's beginning to get agitated by the attention and he looks back at me, then at his mom. I put my hand on his shoulder to keep him from bolting. Jane, thinking that the attention is all on her, grabs hold of his hand. Nathan stops in mid-step and looks down at their joined hands.

I bend down slightly, and try to coax them back to moving. Bella is about to step on to the aisle to help him along. Then Jane says, "It's okay Nathan. Daddy's right here, we'll be okay."

My heart melts as I hear this. Nathan looks back up at me, and then down to my hand. He lets go of Jane's hand, then grabs on to mine. Jane takes my other hand, and moves to my other side. Once we're set, we again start walking down the aisle. I hear a few "aw's" in the crowd as we finally get to the pew reserved for my family.

Finding Bella not there, Nathan stands on the pew looks behind us and waves to her. She shakes her head, but smiles. Nathan looks to me and he tugs at my sleeve. I end down slightly and he whispers into my ear, with his little hand covering his lips. "I want my Mommy to sit with us."

"Okay." I nod and turn around to Bella and mouth the words "Come here" as I wave my hand.

Bella nods and she moves from her pew, and sneaks around to ours to join us. Nathan quickly moves to stand beside her and holds on to her hand.

Standing right behind us is Jasper and Alice with Noah. Jasper has Noah in his arms, cradling a feeding bottle between his finger against the little boy's mouth. I catch a weird smile on Alice's face, before we all turn to watch Mom and Dad coming down the aisle.

Mom and Dad are absolutely beaming. Mom's dress is a long shift in beige with some beading around the shoulders, while dad wears a charming charcoal grey suit. It's a simpler, but still elegant version of what they wore during their own wedding in Chicago.

As they pass each row of guests, the guests instinctively sit down. Just as they reach us, they both look at our pew. My mother's delight is clear. My face warms at the thought of the four of us sitting as a family. With my index finger, I clandestinely make contact with Bella's hand. Thinking that I want to tell her something, she moves her head closer to mine. I grasp on to her fingers. "You look beautiful," I say softly into her ear. Her head drops, but I see the smile on her face.

"Thank you," she whispers without looking up. She tugs her fingers slightly out of my grasp, but I squeeze them tight for a moment, then let go.

The ceremony goes very quickly. My parents renew their vows and at the very end, the guests erupt in loud applause when they kiss. Dad gives a very quick thank you speech, then Emmett formally invites the guests to the hall next door for the party. While the guests mill into the hall, the photographs are taken at the altar.

Bella takes pictures with her small point-and-shoot camera from behind the official photographer. He coaxes her to join the group pictures, but she refuses politely. Finally, my Dad leaves his spot and drags her into the picture. She stands beside Nathan in each shot. Thankfully, the photographer doesn't pressure her to join the picture when my family's turn came for the photograph. She just watched with a wistful look on her face as Nathan and Jane stood with me beside my parents.

By the time our family arrives into the hall, cocktails have been served, and some people are already sitting at their tables. Bella, Nathan and Leah are assigned seats at my table with Jane. Noah has a specially decorated high-chair in between Alice and Jasper to complete the seating. Noah's baby bag sits on a chair at the end of the table. Once everyone is seated, waiters in white gloves filter out of the kitchen with trays of food.

"Look, Nathan!" cries Jane, when her plate is laid before her. "Mac n' cheese!" She grabs her spoon and is about to dig in.

"Hold on, young lady," I say holding on to her hand. "You need to wait for everyone on the table to be served."

Once the entire table is served, I pick up my fork and knife. I notice that Nathan hasn't picked up his spoon. His head is bent down slightly, and his eyes are closed. I nudge Bella, "Is he okay?"

Bella looks over to him in concern. "Nathan? Are you alright?" Her hand smoothes his hair.

He opens his eyes and nods. "Just giving thanks for my new family, Mama." He looks at me, then grabs his spoon and digs in.

Alice whimpers from her side of the table. Her eyes are brimming with tears.


	15. Chapter 14

**I've missed a couple of days due to the general business of real life. I thought I'd cover yesterday and today's WitFit prompts in this chapter. Thank you for reading! **

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Peek (425/2012) /Delay (4/26/2012)**

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><p>Many thoughts run through my head while we have dinner. I want to move swiftly to finalize everything, pronto. I want documents signed and filed. I'm running through a list of things to do, like looking for an appropriate school for Nathan, and changing his last name to mine. I've already decided which room will be his at my house.<p>

Bella is silent through the meal. She avoids looking in my direction and focuses all her attention on Nathan as he eats. She barely touches the food on her plate.

After the main course is cleared away, the dance music is cranked up. The old church hall floor creaks, as guests, both old and young, dance to seventies and eighties disco music. Nathan, Jane and Leah are dancing along with the older Cullen boys.

Once Alice, Jasper and Noah stand to mill around, Bella abruptly excuses herself to go to the restroom. Everyone seems to be having a great time. Rosalie and Emmett are holding court at their table of friends. Mom and Dad are moving through the room greeting their guests. As I look around, I see some old friends from school, but no longer feel a connection with them or a compulsion to stand and chat. I wonder if this is how Bella feels about the town.

To pass the time, I check my phone for messages, and see that there's a missed call from my attorney. I step outside into the cold night air to return his call, but it goes straight to voice mail. A light plume of frost escapes my lips as I leave a message for him to call me back on the next business day.

Several guests come out to take a cigarette break. I exchange smiles and pleasantries, and move to go back inside. To avoid their smoke, I choose to pass through a small walkway, close to the chapel's doors. As I pass the doors, I notice that one of them is slightly ajar. I grab the door handle to shut it, but before I do, I take a peek inside. It's mostly dark inside, save for the spotlights on the altar. Bella is inside sitting on one of the pews before the altar. I can tell from the glint of her barrette in her hair.

I back out slowly to give her privacy, but then I hear her sob and say something.

"What should I do, daddy?" she says. "Tell me what to do."

I stay as if I'm waiting for Chief Swan's voice to come through the air. I creep further into the chapel, careful not to make too much noise, but the old wooden floor betrays me. Her head snaps to me at the sound of the creaking floor board.

"Who's there?" she asks alarmed, shielding her eyes from the glare of the spotlight.

"Bells, it's just me," I answer.

She stands and quickly dabs her face with a tissue in her hand. "How much did you hear?"

"I just got here. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I'll leave you alone." I move toward the doors to the dining hall.

"No, Edward. I'll go."

"Bella, you don't have to go. I was just passing through to go back into the hall. I was just returning a phone call from my att—"

"You're moving awfully quickly, don't you think?" her voice is cold and steely. "What exactly are you trying to work out?"

I raise my hands like I am surrendering. "Bella, I'm not trying to do anything underhanded here. I'm just trying to do what's right." I walk slowly toward her. She stands stiffly and crosses her arms across her chest.

"What exactly are you doing, Edward?" She steps back as I approach.

"I'm just having some papers drawn up to recognize him as my son, Bella. That's all. For now."

"For now?"

This is obviously upsetting her and looks like she's about to fly off the handle. I don't want to break our truce, but I don't want to delay anything either. Nor do I want to do anything behind her back. I struggle to figure out how to tell her my intentions without shattering our peace.

"Bella…"

"Edward, things are going too fast. He's becoming so attached to you and Jane. It's as clear as day."

"That's not a bad thing, Bella."

"I don't want him to get hurt Edward. What happens when we return to Singapore?"

"Bella, is Singapore really what's best for him? He needs to be with family."

"I am his family, Edward," she hisses. "Have you forgotten that? I'm his mother," she jabs her finger to her chest.

"Well, I'm his father, Bella. He has a right to be with me and Jane."

"I know you're his father, Edward. Everyday, I see that. I just look at him and see you."

"You sound as if you regret that." She's so upset that there's no other way for me to take what she thought of that weekend.

"I regret nothing, Edward. That weekend was the best of my life, but it didn't end the way I'd hoped."

_Now it's my fault? _"The way you'd hoped? It ended exactly how you wanted. You left for Singapore. You told me to forget everything, Bella."

Bella's breath catches in her throat. Her face crumples, and she bawls, "And you did!" She bolts past me and before I know it she is out the front chapel doors.

I run after her as she walks briskly toward her truck. Her steps are wobbly in her high heels on the uneven ground. I grab on to her arm. She struggles to pull it away from me.

"Bella, don't leave."

Her make up is smudged and the tears streak down her face. She looks defeated and despite here pulling away from me, she doesn't seem so strong anymore. I hold on to her other arm so she's facing me.

"Don't leave."

"Why couldn't you have said those words years ago?"


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – packet<strong>

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><p><em>218/2003, Tuesday_

_I put down the phone after I leave my message for Bella to call me back. I miss her, but I'm getting a bad feeling. It first crept up on my while I was digging out my car from under the snow. _

_I wish the snow came down harder yesterday. Then her flight would have been cancelled and she'd still be here._

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><p><em>220/2003, Thursday_

_I'm excited when I see the blinking light on my message machine. I have one message. It's from Tanya, just leaving a follow-up message to her e-mail which she's not sure I got. She's moved to Philadelphia and wants to get together this weekend or the next._

_I check my e-mails. Tanya's message is there. Nothing from Bella._

_I don't like this feeling._

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><p><em>221/2003, Friday_

_It's Friday night, and I sit at the counter of the bar where I brought Bella last week. The bartender asks me to drop my keys into the locked box after I've ordered my third drink. I don't fight him. I can walk home._

_There are three guys at the counter beside me. One of them is busy getting drunk because his girlfriend in Chicago broke up with him. His friends are plying him with more booze to numb him._

"_Dude! I hate this long distance shit! It's not worth it," the lovesick guy laments. He looks pathetic._

_I buy him and his friends another drink and all four of us toast to the death of long distance relationships._

_I don't like it, but I think things are over with Bella._

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><p><em>224/2003, Monday_

_My mouth goes dry as I re-read the last paragraph of Bella's e-mail._

So that sort of puts the brakes on this thing between you and me. I mean, it was just one weekend, it was Valentines, and we were lonely. And drunk. But hey, at least we'll have this memory to remember each other by, right? Who knows what will happen in three years time?

Bella

_My heart falls to my stomach. _

Fuck. I knew this was coming. It took her a fucking week to tell me this shit. I knew it.

_I grab a bottle of beer from my fridge and pull a long swig as I sit back down in front of my desktop. The black letters against the stark white screen make her rejection so much harsher._

"_I wasn't that drunk, Bella, and neither were you," I say to the screen._

_I'm thankful that I hadn't laid all my cards on the table. I put the ball in her court, let her call the shots. Well, and there you have it. _

_I remember the guy at the bar, saying that he gave his girlfriend everything. She sucked his dick dry, and threw all he gave her away._

_The image of the top of Bella's head between my legs warm my insides. _Thank God, I didn't say anything stupid while I came! _ The thought that I'd saved my dignity gives me some comfort. _

_I pull out the keyboard from the table top and lay it across my lap. One last swig from my bottle to empty it out, and I start typing._

Bells! That's awesome news. I knew you'd get something good soon.

Look, I really am happy for you. Don't sweat last weekend. We're cool. I promise. I've got some stuff brewing on my side too.

Like you said, we'll have this memory to share. Let's keep it that way.

Hey, you'll never guess who just e-mailed me. Did you know that Tanya moved to Philadelphia last year?

Bella, I really am happy about your news. Good luck!

Yours,

Edward

_I click send. _

Thank God! I'm not going through this shit again! _ I don't like the feeling. _

_I pull up the e-mail from Tanya and I grab the wireless phone on my desk. The weather is expected to be decent over the weekend and I feel like taking a drive south._

* * *

><p><em>312/2003, Wednesday_

_I'm at my desktop, and I've just put down the phone with Tanya. She asked if I wanted to go skiing with her and a couple of workmates in the Poconos. Her boss has a house that he's offered for them to use. _

_I don't commit because I know it means a little more than a simple weekend away. Her friends all have partners who are going on the trip. If I go, I'd be going as her partner. I'm not sure about this yet. _

_The past two weekends have been enjoyable, but relatively platonic. On the first weekend, I drove down to Philly in the morning and drove back home after dinner. It didn't take me longer than an hour and a half to get back to my house._

_Last weekend, she took the train into New York City with a workmate and I met them there. I dropped them off at their hotel after dinner and a club. Tanya kissed me on the lips when I bid her good night. It felt good, but not as good as kissing Bella._

_I pull up my e-mail client._

Dear Bella,

I don't know if I should even be doing this right now. You've made it clear that you're not interested, but I'm taking a chance, here.

Please don't go to Singapore. Stay here. With me.

I'm yours,

Edward

_I hover the pointer over the "Send" button. I stare at the screen and re-read my message. "I'm yours?" the words spill from my lips. "What the fuck is that?"_

_I sweep the mouse over its pad and close my browser window._

Fucking sap! _I berate myself then grab the phone and hit the re-dial button. Tanya's sweet, sing-song voice comes over the line. She knows it's me. _

"_What time should I be at your apartment on Friday?" I ask. I pick up a packet of documents that's lying on my desk and bring them up to my room to read._

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><p>1220/2008, Saturday

"Why couldn't you have said those words years ago?" Bella twists in my arms trying to break free.

"What are you saying, Bella?"

She falls limp, and I try to hold her up from falling to the ground.

"I would've stayed," she whispers. I cradle her head in my hands, peering into her face.

"Oh Bella."

"I would've stayed."

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><p><em>Oh the things that were left unsaid! Love is so freaking complicated when people don't just say what they feel, no?<em>

_Thank you for reading!_


	17. Chapter 16

**I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but this is how far things wanted to go for this scene. Thank you for reading and your reviews.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Rush (430/12) / Technology (5/1/2012)**

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><p>"Bella..." I say, as I try to keep her head up and wipe the dark tears with my thumbs. She clasps onto my hands and tries to pull them down, away from her face.<p>

Everything I've wondered about through the years rush through my mind and makes me lightheaded. She would've stayed. Things would have been different.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was too scared," she says through her sobs. "I was afraid that we didn't want the same thing. I didn't want to get hurt." Her words echo the pain I felt when she left. My chest hurt.

"Bella-"

"And then you moved on so quickly," she continues.

"Bella-"

"Oh Edward, I didn't know what to do. I, I-"

I put my thumbs on her lips to silence her. Her eyes go wide with surprise. "Bella, be quiet for a moment." She nods her understanding.

"Are you telling me, that if I'd asked you then, not to move to Singapore, you would have stayed for me?" I ask slowly.

She nods slowly.

"And you didn't say anything because you were afraid I didn't feel the same way?"

I watch her eyes as she nods. She blinks softly and a tear runs down the side of her cheek, over my fingers.

"Well Bella Swan, I did."

This stills her and she's dumbstruck. Her gaze burns into mine and I am unsure if it's because she's confused, angry, or disgusted. I let go of her lips and step back. I move my hands from the sides of her face to her shoulders. I lean in to make sure we're eye level.

"Bella, I wanted you to stay but I didn't want to get in the way of your career. It was so clear to me that it was important to you."

"But—"

I shush her. "It's my turn to talk." She closes her mouth and nods. We're so close; I feel her breath against my lips.

"I wanted the same thing. I didn't want you to go. I was stupid. I was afraid and just like you, I didn't want to get hurt.

"I was an idiot, Bella. I should've told you how I felt. I should have picked up the phone and told you that I wanted you to stay. Not rely on technology to relay messages. My biggest regret, Bella, is letting you go without a fight. "

Bella caresses my cheek with her palm. It's warm against my skin. Her tears have stopped falling. I hold her hand, and bring her palm to my lips. Her breath catches in her throat. I wrap my other arm around her waist and pull her closer.

"What are you doing?" She's alarmed, but she's not putting up any resistance.

"What I should've done five years ago." I crash my lips to hers. She takes in a sharp breath, but then she matches my kiss. Her fingers are instantly in my hair, tugging at my scalp. Electricity and warmth shoot through my veins, and from the sound she makes, I know she's feeling the same. I didn't realize how much I'd yearned to have her in my arms this way. This time, I wasn't letting go so easily.

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><p><em>Thank you for reading! <em>


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – yawn<strong>

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><p>A peal of laughter disrupts our kiss and reluctantly, I loosen my embrace. Some of the guests are leaving the party, walking to their cars in the parking lot. Before anyone notices us, we step back form each other. I keep my hands on her hips though, just to keep the connection.<p>

Bella wipes her cheeks with the back of her hand, and runs a knuckle under her nose. Despite her make-up being washed away, she's still beautiful. She shivers, and frost blows out of her nostrils and mouth.

"Are you cold?"

She nods and I shrug out of my suit coat. I drape it over her shoulders. She pulls the lapels closed, wrapping herself into its warmth. She barely looks up at me, but she's smiling. I can't help but smile myself. "Let's go back inside." I put my arm around her and we both turn toward the chapel hall.

We take a few steps, and then she stops. "I can't go in there looking like this, Edward."

We face each other. While I think she's gorgeous, I see her puffy eyelids and irritated nose.

"I think I should go home."

I nod. "But what about Nathan and Leah?"

"Uh…" She mulls over her predicament with a worried look on her face.

"I'll bring them home after the party. I'll just tell them that you're not feeling so well." I volunteer.

She nods. "Okay. I'll wait for you."

We walk back to her pick-up truck and I help her climb into the driver's seat. Once she's buckled in, I give her a quick kiss on the lips, and then close the door. She rolls down the window to say thank you.

I kiss her again. "We won't be late, Bells. We should be home in an hour or so."

She smiles slightly, and then nods. "Thanks, Edward." She rolls up her window and starts the engine. I quickly grab the booster seat from the rear cab, and then step back from the truck as she pulls out of the parking space. Once the truck leaves the lot, a shiver runs through me. She still has my coat.

I toss the booster into the car Emmett's loaned me, and walk back into the hall. Half the guests, mostly the older folks, have already left. Nathan and Jane are still dancing, but now, Leah is sitting down and chatting with one of the young men that work for Emmett.

"Daddy!" Jane squeals as she runs to me with her arms open wide. I walk over to her, and scoop her up. Despite that fact that he's lost his partner, Nathan is still dancing, not at all bothered that he's doing the robot by himself. Jane and I join him and we dance, just the three of us. For the first time since I found out about Nathan, I'm finally enjoying myself.

* * *

><p>Emmett's crew of off-duty firefighters volunteer to do the clean up after the party, in exchange for one of the left over kegs of beer, so once the caterers finish clearing their food and equipment, we're all free to leave.<p>

Jane is now asleep in my arms, as I sit on a chair. Nathan is also asleep, his head on Leah's lap, as he's laid out on a few of the chairs. Leah covers up a yawn with the back of her hand. Mom and Dad come over and offer to take Jane home with them so I can get Nathan and Leah to Bella's house. They give me this weird look that tells me that they know something is up. Perhaps someone saw Bella and me kissing in the parking lot. Or maybe it was just showing on my face, from the silly grin I've sported since I came back into the room.

We arrive at Bella's house in a few minutes. She's already waiting at the door by the time I reach it, with Nathan heavy in my arms. She's still wearing the dress she wore to the party, but she's lost the pantyhose and shoes. She's pulled her hair into a ponytail and her face is freshly washed. Her eyes no longer seem so puffy. I notice a glass of white wine sitting on a small table beside the couch. A few table lamps provide subdued light throughout the room.

Bella leads the way upstairs to Nathan's room. Leah hands Bella a set of character pajamas for Nathan, and then excuses herself, bidding us goodnight. Bella and I wrestle Nathan out of his party clothes and into his sleep clothes which are a perfect match to his underwear.

Bella draws up the covers to his chin and gives him a kiss on the forehead. I look to Bella, seeking permission to do the same. She nods, and for the first time, I kiss my son good night, and wish him good dreams.

We shut the lights, and leave the door slightly ajar before we walk down steps to the living room. Back on the first floor, I find myself at a loss for what to do next. I should leave to go home, but I don't really want to just yet. I eye the glass of white wine on the side table.

"Would you like a glass?" Bella asks.

I sigh deeply. "I'd love one." I didn't get a chance to drink at the party, and after all that's happened, I could really use one.

Bella smiles. "Sit down, and I'll get you one."

I sit on the couch, and its worn softness is so inviting, that I actually slump into it, completely relaxed. I pull off the tie that's been loose around my neck. I rest the back of my head against the back of the couch, and close my eyes. _Just for a second._

* * *

><p>I open my eyes and realize that I'd fallen asleep. Bella is snuggled into my side, her head resting on my shoulder. The lights have been turned off throughout the room. She's wrapped her arms around mine, and my hand rests on her knee. Her feet are tucked under her, on the couch. It's still dark outside, and a quick glance at my watch shows that it's already three o'clock in the morning. All my movement rouses Bella from her sleep.<p>

"Hey," she says softly as she raises her head from shoulder. I smile as she rubs her eye with the back of her hand. "What time is it?"

"It's three," I say. I know I should get up to leave, but I'm just so comfortable here, with her at my side.

"When I got back to the couch, you were out like a light."

I smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. It's just so comfortable on this thing. You need to keep this." I say as I pat the couch. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked so comfortable, I couldn't get myself to wake you." She giggles softly.

"I think I'm so comfortable because you're here," I say as I rub her leg. She smiles, and I feel her skin warm where I touch her.

"Really?" Her face is coming towards mine, and I feel her breath against me. I can't help but smile, knowing her lips were coming to meet mine.

"Uh hm." Our lips touch, and slowly they move against each other. The kiss starts out soft and gentle, just rolling and sucking. Once her fingers go into my hair, I want more, and I pull her to me. I suck on her lower lip and coax her with my tongue. When our tongues meet, our lips crush against each other harder.

She moves to climb onto my lap, her legs straddling my hips. She wraps her arms around my head as I my lips travel to her chin and down her neck. I grasp on to her hips, and pull her against me. My body burns as she grinds against me. She lets out a hiss when my hard-on rubs her in just the right spot between her legs. My hand finds her breast over her dress and I squeeze it, as I do the same with her ass, which I can now touch, as the hem of her dress has risen up to her waist. I move against her to meet each pass of her warm center against my straining cock. I know that if we don't stop, it won't take much longer before I make a mess in my pants. It's been so long since I'd been intimate with someone. But I don't want to stop. It just feels too good.

"Oh my God!" exclaims a little voice from the stairs, and Bella and I break away quickly.

"Oh my God!" Bella squeals as she climbs off of me, and rearranges herself on the couch.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" cries Leah as she runs back up the stairs. "I'm so sorry!" A door upstairs shuts loudly.

I'm breathless from the shock, and so is Bella. My hard-on is still raging in my pants, but I know in a few moments it will subside. I lean forward with my elbows on my knees, trying to catch my breath.

Bella is giggling beside me, her hands covering her face.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" I say to her, stifling my own giggle. This is a lot different from being caught making out by your parents, but it's still just as embarrassing.

"I'm sorry," Bella says through her giggles. "Are you okay?" She drags her hands down, covering just her nose and mouth.

I take a deep breath. "Yeah. They're a little blue." I grab my crotch and adjust my balls a bit.

"Edward!" she kicks me knee playfully.

"Sorry! I just had to! They hurt!" I wince as I laugh at the fact that I'd just adjusted my balls in front of her. Our laughter eventually subsides and the "balls" incident is obviously what we needed to diffuse any more tension.

"I should go," I say as I stand up. Bella stands up too beside me and wraps her arms around mine. I grab my suit coat off the back of one of the chairs nearby, and sling it over my shoulder. I turn to Bella and give her another soft kiss on the lips. "See you tomorrow?"

"Okay. But, I promised to bring Leah shopping in Port Angeles for gifts to bring home."

"Let's all bring her," I offer. "After what she just saw, I think she's going to need a little bribing." Bella laughs. "Plus, I want to take the kids to that old fashioned soda and candy shop."

"Is that place still around?"

"Yep! Still makes their own root beer, the last I heard."

"Okay."

"Jane and I will swing by after breakfast."

"Alright," Bella says as we reach the front door.

After one more kiss, I walk out into the brisk night air. The temperature's dropped even more, and there's a slight sheen of frost on my windshield. The moonlight seems brighter, and the stars seem like their twinkling more than I've ever noticed before.

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><p><em>Thank you for reading and your kind reviews.<em>


	19. Chapter 18

**Special thanks goes out to Dragon1974UK and Rochelle Allison for all their support!**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – boredom<strong>

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><p>1221/2008, Sunday

I've barely fallen asleep, when Jane starts nudging me awake for breakfast. Mom's asked her to help open the gifts they received, but only after she's had her breakfast. She wants her pancakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse, but she says Nana doesn't know how to make them.

I walk down the kitchen with her, and my whole family's huddled around the kitchen counter. Jasper sees me and he clears his throat. They all look in my direction and the nonchalantly break away from the circle. Alice and Emmett have these silly smiles on their faces, while Mom and Dad smirk. Jasper sits at the breakfast table and cuts up a pancake into bite sized pieces for Noah. Rosalie sits across from him and rests her crossed arms on the table. She's not smiling.

Jane goes to her seat on the breakfast table and grabs a piece of bacon from the plate in the center.

"What?" I ask.

"So," Alice's voice sounds like a chime. "What time did you come home last night?"

I eye Jane and shake my head, hoping that without words, Alice gets that I don't want to talk about it just yet. I make Jane her mouse shaped pancake and serve it to her. All the adults in the room make small talk to avoid the issue until she's done eating. It takes five minutes.

"Okay, Jane," Mom comes to her and takes her hand. "It's time to help Nana and Poppop open their presents!" They walk to the living room where the gifts have been placed temporarily. Before she disappears down the hall, she turns to me and winks. Dad follows them down the hall.

"Dude!" Emmett says as he slaps me on the back. "You and Bella, eh? Together again!"

Rose rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Alice is beaming and she gushes, "I knew it! I knew this would happen! It's just so romantic!" She clasps her hands together and squeezes them against her chest. She's so giddy, it's sickening. I roll my eyes.

"So, how'd it happen?" Emmett asks eagerly. Rosalie huffs loudly from her spot. Alice looks at her with disappointment.

"What's your problem?" Alice asks.

"I just don't know how this is a good thing. I can feel it my bones, something's going to happen and it'll all go to shit." Rosalie explains. "So what, is Bella going to stay now? Are you getting custody of Nathan? What? What does this change?"

"Hold on!" I say. All this talk about what happens next is irritating. I have no idea what's going to happen next. Maybe she'll stay. Maybe she won't. The only thing I know now is that some important circumstances have changed. Bella and I are on good terms; very good terms. I'm optimistic now that we'll come to some sort of agreement with regard to Nathan. Things look good for me and Bella, too. "How do you guys know, anyway?"

"Edward," Alice says plainly. "I saw you kissing Bella in the parking lot last night. You know, you could have been a little more discreet about this. I wasn't the only one who saw you last night."

I'm alarmed by the fact that my moment with Bella isn't just ours anymore. "How'd you see us?"

"I accompanied one of my friends for a smoke, and she pointed you out to me."

"Which friend?" I scratch the back of my head, wondering.

"Victoria," she says, wincing with embarrassment. Emmett howls with laughter.

"Well, that's it! The whole town knows now," Rosalie says in exasperation, throwing her hand in the air.

"Who's Victoria?" I ask. The name sounded familiar, but I could put the face to the name.

"Oh, she's just the town gossip," Emmett says, still laughing.

Rosalie throws a crumpled paper napkin at him. "Will you stop it! This isn't funny."

"It is, too!" Emmett answers, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye with his thumb. "Edward and Bella are stirring things up in Forks in a big way with all this shit, if it weren't for them, we'd all be dying of boredom right now."

_The whole town?_ Bella's not going to be happy about this news. Worry runs through my head. I can almost picture the people around the town, whispering into each others' ears, like some sick form of the game "Pass the Message". I'd forgotten how news traveled so quickly within such a small town such as this.

Alice, Emmett and Rosalie are jabbering away, and I don't understand what their saying. I'm just stunned by the fact that this thing between me and Bella has turned so public. I zone out their voices, and they're moving around me. I sit on the counter stool and rest my elbows on the counter. I rub my forehead with my fingers, trying to figure out what to do, and how to tell Bella. We're making so much progress, but I know we're not there yet. If she sees this as a bad thing, things could just slide backwards.

Suddenly I realize, it's completely silent in the kitchen. I open my eyes, and find that Alice, Emmet and Rosalie have left the room. Only Jasper and Noah, stay seated at the breakfast table. Noah is concentrating on feeding himself tiny bits of pancake.

"For what it's worth, Edward," Jasper says. "It doesn't really matter if the whole town knows. In a few days, you'll all be heading back home, going back to your regular lives."

The question is: _Is that what I want?_

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><p><em>Thank you so much for reading. <em>


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Beckon (54/12), Bistro (5/5/12), Trophy (5/7/12)**

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><p>I'm in a bit of a daze as I get Jane ready for our day out in Port Angeles. I gather my wits when she comes out of the room in her tutu over her jeans and fairy wings. I manage to convince her to not wear the fairy wings and remind myself to pay better attention. My parents haven't weighed in on the news just yet. My guess is that they'll to tell me their thoughts later.<p>

When we get to Bella's, they're all ready to go, and we get everyone loaded quickly. Bella and I limit our contact to a chaste kiss on the cheek, and some clandestine brushes of fingers on whatever body part comes close. The first time I see Leah, a blush blooms on her cheeks as she averts her eyes, but the awkwardness of the situation is quickly dissipated by the chatter from the kids. I concentrate on the road, and keep both hands on the wheel. I would rather be holding Bella's hand while I drive. I think she wants to hold mine too, as she keeps finding reasons to touch my arm while we listen to the funny exchange from behind. Nathan is wearing his eye-patch, explaining to Jane that he has a lazy eye. Jane thinks it cool that his eye doesn't want to do anything and makes pirate sounds.

In my head, I'm trying not to make the fact that people saw us kissing last night a big deal. It's not a bad thing. In fact, I think it's a good thing; the fact that we were kissing last night, that is. It's how she feels about it that matters. And right now, things seem good. She smiles when I smile.

Port Angeles doesn't boast too many shopping choices, so we head straight to the Walmart on the other side of the Ferry Terminal. We figure at least there, Leah will be able to buy as much gifts as possible. Plus, their toy section will be enough to keep the kids mesmerized for a while.

Once we walk in, Jane declares that she's going with the "girls" and immediately grabs the hands of Bella and Leah. We agree to meet in the Toy section in about thirty minutes. After a few minutes of walking toward the Toy section, Nathan starts to fidget.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"I have to go potty," he informs me.

"Okay." After a quick sweep of the signs overhead, I find the restrooms and we head for it together. Halfway there, Nathan holds on to my index finger. Once we get to the hall, Nathan heads straight for the door to the ladies room. "Whoa there, Nathan!" I hold on to his shoulders and steer him towards the men's room.

Once inside, Nathan looks around perplexed. "How come there are only two rooms?" He points to the cubicles. "Mommy and I go into the one with a lot of rooms."

I realize that Nathan's only gone into the ladies' rooms when he needs to go potty. "Well Nate, you're big boy now, so you get to go to the big boy's room."

The urinals seem too high for him, so I lead him to one of the cubicles instead. He goes on his own, but lowers his pants and underwear down to his knees, with his butt exposed. There are things that only a man can teach a boy, and going to the bathroom without exposing yourself is one of them.

After washing our hands, we walk out of the bathroom and head back to the Toy section. He walks a little taller, like he's proud that he's done something that the "big" boys do.

We spend some time at the Lego aisle, and he looks excitedly at the Star Wars edition sets. I crouch down to pick up one of the AT-TE Walker sets on the bottom shelf, and examine the detail of the piece on the packaging. Nathan snuggles into me, trying to look at the pictures of the mini-figures. I seem to have found another thing in common with my son; Star Wars.

"Oh my God, he really does look like you," someone says just above me. It's Eric Yorkie, one of my group mates from our high school Science Squad.

"Hey, Eric!" I stand and shake hands with him. It's been years since I've seen him, but he still looks the same, just older and rounder. I swear the horn-rimmed glasses he's wearing are the same ones he had back then.

"Nathan, this is my friend Eric. He's a friend of your mom's too." I'm proud of Nathan's demeanor, immediately extending his hand shake. Eric is amused too.

"Nice to meet you Nathan, your D—" Eric says.

"We all used to go to school together," I say to block him of from revealing that I'm his Dad. I'm reminded of how much more necessary it is for us to tell him already. We won't be able to keep people from blurting it out for much longer.

Eric picks up on his almost gaffe, and mouths the word "Sorry." I nod to indicate my acceptance.

"So," Eric crouches down to Nathan, "you like Star Wars, too?"

Nathan nods. "But this one has too many pieces and it's for kids 9 – 14." He points at the printed information on the box. "I like this one," he says as he points to another box on the shelf, which is of one of the star fighters. He seems distracted by the other models that beckon him, so he approaches the shelf to look.

Eric and I stand and take a few steps away. "So, you and Bella huh?"

"How'd you know?"

"Are you serious? Everyone knows!"

_The whole town knows_. Despite it, I can't help but smile about it.

"Bella looks great, by the way," he says.

_Yes, she does. _ Bella is walking in our direction, chatting with a pregnant woman as she pushes the shopping cart with Jane inside it. Butterflies flutter in my stomach seeing them this way. It feels like it should be this way always.

"Angela and I saw her in the cosmetics department. She told me you were here. That little one you've got is an angel, too." He gestures toward Jane.

I do a double-take on the woman Bella is chatting with. I don't recognize her because she's no longer wearing eye-glasses and her hair is a different style from what it was when we were in high school. Her belly is huge, and she looks like she's about to give birth in a few weeks.

"You married Angela Weber?" I asked.

"Yep!" Eric answered proudly.

"I thought she moved to Chicago for college?" I knew Eric went to some engineering school in Boston. I'd heard he moved around a bit.

"She did. Would you believe it? We bumped into each other at the airport in Seattle? We were both coming home for some obscure reason. And that was it. Funny how some things just work out, right?" He nudges me with his elbow. He looks like he's in a daze as he watches his wife approaching us.

_Yeah, funny_.

They finally reach us, and everyone is smiling. I'm feeling silly inside, but happy. Nathan quickly runs up to her. "Mommy! I got to use the big boy's bathroom!"

"You did?" Bella smiles enthusiastically.

"Edward brought me," he explains. "There are only two rooms inside, and these big white things that Edward didn't let me use." He makes a face and pinches his nose. "It's kinda smelly in there."

"Yuck!" Jane cries from inside the cart.

We all laugh at the kids' exchange. This seems to break up any remaining awkwardness between the four of us. I go over to Angela and greet her, giving her a light hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Edward, I was just telling Bella about this little get-together tomorrow night. It's just dinner and drinks with some of our old classmates at Bistro di Marino. You guys should come, I'm sure a lot of our old classmates would love to see you guys. Mike will be there, Tyler, and their wives. We do it every year," Angela explains.

"Um, I don't know." I avoid putting Bella on the spot. It might be nice to go, but I don't want to commit us if she's not interested. I look at her face for any indication of whether or not it was something she wanted to do.

She smiles, indicating to me that she's fine with it. "I think that would be nice," she says to me. I'm relieved.

"Cool!" Eric says, he moves to Angela's side and puts his arm around her back. "So we'll see you guys tomorrow at eight?"

"Yeah," I say. We all shake hands and bid each other good bye.

* * *

><p>Once we're done shopping at the Walmart, we head on to First Avenue and pay a visit to the Northwest Fudge and Confections shop. It isn't the same candy shop we grew up with, but it occupies the same space. Thankfully, they still make the root beer that the original store made.<p>

We wrap the shopping day trip with an early dinner at Bella Italia, then a quick trip to Port Books and News for some postcards Leah wants to remember the trip by. Jane walks out of the store with a new story book about a girl loving the color pink, while Nathan, chooses a Magic Eye book.

Halfway back to Forks, the kids and Leah are sound asleep behind us. Bella's hand finally creeps over to mine that rests on the console. It feels good to finally touch her openly, relieving even. "I had fun today," she says softly as she entwines our fingers.

I look over to her and smile. She's got a look on her face that matches something I saw in her late last night, or was it early this morning? A warmth grows in my stomach and it spreads quickly through me.

I take a quick glance at the rear-view mirror, to make sure everyone really is asleep, and I pull her hand to my lips. I brush my lip against the back of her fingers. "I did too." We keep our eyes on the road, but our hands stay connected all the way to her house. I'm happy. It feels like I've won a trophy or something. I feel complete.


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – "Don't patronize me," she said.<strong>

* * *

><p>When we get to Bella's house at just past eight o'clock, I'm as tired as the kids. Bella sees this, and makes sure to be quick in unloading all their purchases and Nathan. She carries Nathan, who's still asleep, as Leah carries all the shopping bags into the house.<p>

"Are you sure about tomorrow night?" I ask her, just before she climbs up the front steps.

She nods. "Yeah, I'm sure," she says softly, so Nathan doesn't wake.

"I mean, I don't know who'll be there. I just don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"Don't patronize me, Edward. I have no problem with seeing all of them. Do you have a problem with it?" Her smile disappears.

"Of course not," I say quickly. "I just want to make sure you're comfortable with the whole thing." I want to explain further, but there's actually nothing more to say. If she was bothered by the fact that people know about us getting together, she didn't say anything, so I feel like I need to be extra careful. "I'm sorry."

"I don't care what they say. I want to go, and I want to go there with you," Bella says with conviction. "Now," she steps closer to me, if Nathan weren't between us, we'd be flush against each other, "Go home. You need your rest." She gives me a soft kiss on the lips, and turns so I can kiss Nathan on the forehead.

I chuckle softly at her instruction. It's true though, I am tired, and the lack of sleep and all the drama and excitement from the past few days is getting the best of me. I hop into the car and drive home. Jane stays sound asleep in her car seat.

Thankfully, Alice and Jasper are out and my parents are already in their bedroom with Noah when we get in. I lay her on the air mattress and pull off her shoes. I decide to let her sleep in the clothes she's worn the whole day. I take a shower and hop into bed and hope for sweet dreams that star Bella and myself on some exotic island. I've heard that St. Croix is absolutely fabulous.

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><p>1222/2008, Monday

When I wake up, Jane's bed is empty, but from the pile of yesterday's clothes sitting on her bed, I can tell she's dressed herself. The fairy wings are nowhere to be found in the room. I'd slept like a log, and really can't remember if I had any dreams or not. I feel refreshed and pretty good actually. I check my watch. It's almost noon.

I bolt out of bed. There was no place I needed to be, but I didn't typically sleep in this late. I change into a pair of jeans, t-shirt and sweater, then head down to the kitchen. Mom's just put something in the oven, and Alice is feeding Noah at the breakfast table.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty!" Alice teases.

"Good morning!" I say lazily. "Where's Jane?"

"She went on a walk with your Dad to the old playground. She's a chatter box, that one. I tell you." Mom says amused. "You've got some mail, hon. It's on the dining table."

I retrieve the cardboard courier envelope and see that it's from my attorney. I pull on the tab to rip it open. Inside, there's a letter and two sets of documents, each secured together with a bull clip. There's a pre-paid return envelope too. I sit on the counter stool as I read the letter. It tells me that one set is for both Bella and me to sign if we come to a mutual agreement on my paternity over Nathan. The other set is for my signature, if things don't go favorably.

Mom comes over and picks up one of the document sets and takes a peek. She puts the document down quickly. "Oh good! You and Bella have come to an agreement?" Her statement piques Alice's interest and she comes over and takes a look at the other set. Her eyes narrow with concern.

"I thought you guys were working things out?" she asks. "Why are these suit papers?" She turns the pages to me. I grab it out of Alice's hand.

"That's really not for you to read, you know." I'm irritated that she's come to such a conclusion so quickly.

"Edward? I don't understand," Mom says. She looks befuddled.

I give Alice the evil eye then turn my attention to my Mom. "I asked my lawyer to draw up two sets of documents. One set, for if Bella agrees to do things voluntarily, and the other in case she refuses."

"But I thought, you and Bella were working things out? I mean, everyone knows what happened at the party," she reasons.

"We are mom. I told my lawyer to do this before things changed. I thought he'd call me first before sending this stuff." I wave the pages in the air like a fan. I gather them and stuff them back into the envelope.

"Well how soon are you going to finalize this stuff? I mean, have you even told Nathan yet that you're his father? Jane's already talking about Bella being your new girlfriend," Alice explains as she returns to Noah's side.

_Girlfriend._ The word gives me pause. It sounds so juvenile to call her that, but what else could she be?

"One thing at a time." I say. "I can't jumble it all up together."

"I understand that, Edward," Mom says. "But remember, Bella and Nathan go back to Singapore after New Years. You guys need to work some plan out before they leave."

_New Years?_ All of a sudden my brain is in a whirl. I just want time to stop for a bit, just so I can bask in the happy glow of finally figuring things out with Bella. We're not quite there yet, but close. There's so much to do, but now the hands of the clock seem to be spinning out of control.

I tuck the papers under my arm and head back up to my room to give Bella a call.

She answers on the first ring. "Hello!" she says sweetly.

"Bella? Can I pick you up at six?"

"Sure," she says tentatively. "Isn't the dinner not until seven thirty?"

"Yeah, I just want to talk; alone."


	22. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – "Breathe" by Anna Nalick<strong>

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><p>I choose a button down shirt, sweater and a pair of loafers to go with my khaki pants for our dinner. Before I head out, Jane hands me a zip-lock bag of cookies for Nathan and Leah, so they don't get hungry while Bella and I are out. After Jane's afternoon nap, we helped Mom bake some of her Christmas cookies.<p>

I take with me the envelope of papers from my attorney, but I leave the stack for my signature only in my suit case in my room.

When I get to Bella's, all the lights are on. I hear a rumpus from behind the front door before she opens the door. She's not yet ready. She's showered, but she's still in a bathrobe and her hair is piled on top of her head, secured with a clamp.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she says as she lets me in. "Nathan refused to take a nap this afternoon and he's been pitching a fit since he realized I was going out."

"Is there anything, I can do to help?"

"He's in the playroom with Leah right now. You might want to take a peek inside, see what's going on." She points toward a room just off of the living area, then she head back up the stairs. Halfway up, she says, "I'll just be fifteen minutes."

I tell her to take her time, and I go to the room. There's no door, and the floor of the playroom is covered in a beige toned carpet. The room is unfurnished, but is being used for Nathan's toys and to store some home items, like a full-length mirror, leaning on its side on the floor, behind some toy boxes and other items.

Leah and Nathan are together on the floor in the middle of the room. Nathan is leaning against her, sitting on her lap as they play with some Lego blocks. They both look up when I approach. I pull off my shoes before I enter the room.

"Hi Edward," Nathan says with a smile. Leah greets me and I sit down on the floor in front of them. "We're making a building. You want to help?"

"Sure," I say and I proceed to add some blocks to what he's started.

"No!" Nathan exclaims angrily. "Only use these." He hands me some square blocks with surprising force. Leah shushes him and rubs his arms up and down, doing some gentle squeezing motion at certain spots.

"Nathan, he's helping you. You don't need to be angry."

I watch as she repeats the motions on his arms. It seems to calm him. Leah eyes me, and I wait till he's calmed down. Once he's relaxed, he stands from her lap and goes to me.

"I'm sorry," he says, then he moves to sit on my lap. I'm surprised by his action. I mimic the way Leah held him earlier. I tuck my legs under me, lotus-style. He sits right in the middle, like a bird in its nest. Once he leans against me, I feel his heart beating fast. The sensation is similar to a weak thrumming electric current running through his body.

"Wrap your arms around him," Leah instructs me. "The gentle pressure calms him down."

I do as I am told, and in a few moments, I can actually feel him calming down. The thrum weakens further and slows. Soon he seems like he's his usual self. My son clearly has some neurological developmental issues. While my research work focuses on neurological issues in the elderly or mature, I recognize that Nathan will face some challenges as he grows up.

"Nathan, _jie-jie_ is going to prepare your dinner, alright?" Leah stands.

"Okay," Nathan answers, now pre-occupied with his building. He continues working on it, oblivious to the fact that Leah's left, and that he's sitting in my lap. He moves quickly, and on occasion, he asks me to hand him a piece he can't reach.

Once he's done, he stands and picks up his small tower. He carries it carefully to an area where he displays his little creations. It looks like he's building a little city. I follow him over on my knees.

After he puts it down, he stands and then looks at the mirror, leaning against the wall. Both our faces are reflected in the mirror, and he just stares at our images. Like everyone's said, our similarity is remarkable.

He tilts his head to the side, examining our reflections, then he looks at me. I swear I can hear the little cogs in his brain turning and locking into place. I swallow hard when he turns to look at me.

"Edward?"

"Yes, Nathan?"

"Are you my daddy?" He holds on to my hand.

"Why do you ask, Nathan?" I'm treading carefully. I'd been rehearsing in my head how to tell him, but the scene always has Bella beside me.

"Well," he says tentatively, then looks to the mirror. "You look like me."

I can't help but chuckle that it's really the other way around, but I guess in his child's mind, that would truly be the case.

"That's true."

"And, you sort of like some of the same things I do." He points to one of his Star Wars Lego boxes.

I hear shoes clicking on the wooden floor behind me. "Edward?" Bella says at the door frame. "I'm ready."

Nathan and I both turn to her. She's dressed in a pretty black and white print dress that falls just above her knees, and red open-toed high heels. She looks at me and her smile falters as she takes in my nervous look.

"What's going on?" she asks slowly. She steps out of her shoes and softly drops her small purse and wrap on to the carpeted floor.

"Um, Nathan just asked me something, that I thought you should hear," I explain. She chews on her bottom lip and she drops to her knees beside me.

"What is it honey?" she asks Nathan. Her nerves radiate to me and I grab her hand to keep her steady.

"Is Edward my daddy?" he repeats.

Bella lets out a soft gasp, and I squeeze her hand. She looks at me; her watering eyes ask me if it's time to tell him the truth. I nod. She nods back and then we both turn to him. She takes a deep breath.

"Yes. Edward is your daddy."

I realize that this is the first time that I hear Bella officially say it. In all our discussions, it's a fact that is always just confirmed, never affirmatively said; until just now. Nathan looks at both of us, and nods.

"Okay," he answers with a smile. "That's cool."

The whimper Bella lets out beside me causes me to wrap my arm around her waist to keep her from falling to the ground. Honestly, I think I do it to keep _myself_ steady.

"So Jane is my sister?"

"Um-hmm," Bella nods. She dabs corner of her eyes with the crook of her index finger.

"And her Nana, is my Nana?"

"Yes." I'm elated that this all seems to be good news to him. The tension in my shoulders and stomach is completely released and it feels like I'm breathing for the first time in days.

"I like her," he says.

"And she likes you too, Nathan," I say.


	23. Chapter 22

**Update: 5/15/12 - I re-posted this chapter due to various errors in the first posting. I apologize for the confusion.  
><strong>

**I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day celebrations. We picked up some new readers, and I'd like to welcome you all. I hope you enjoy where this story goes. Thank you.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Spritz (511/12), Motor (5/12/1212), and Duty (5/14/12).**

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><p>For a brief moment, I almost reconsider our plans to go out for dinner. I'm overjoyed to say the least, but Bella looks so lovely in her dress, and in all honesty, I'd been looking forward to an evening with just adults, so we decide to continue with our plans.<p>

Since our time to talk was eaten up by the moment with Nathan, we wind up heading straight to the restaurant with just minutes to spare. We walk in and find the long table of our old classmates already full, with just two seats left beside Angela.

Eric immediately stands to welcome us. Hugs and hand shakes are exchanged. Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley introduce their wives, Charlotte and Mary. They're familiar, but both are much younger than us. Through the conversation, I learn that they weren't even in high school yet when we graduated. Bella takes the seat beside Angela, and they become engaged so deeply in conversation through out the meal.

Our table is noisy as jokes and laughs are exchanged about old stories from school. They tell us about who's married who, and where everyone else is around the world. Only a handful of our classmates remained or returned to Forks after college. Most have ventured down to California and the rest of the country. Eric and Angela actually just returned to the area a few years ago. After they met again, Eric moved to Chicago to be with Angela, but when the economy took one of their jobs, they decided to settle down back here.

After my plate is cleared away, I lean back in my chair and casually drape my arm on the back of Bella's chair. I thumb the curve of her bare arm occasionally. I just like feeling her skin. Without looking at me, she drapes her hand on my thigh under the table. Being close to her and just being casual about it feels nice.

"So Bella, when are you going back to Singapore?" Mike's wife asks from across the table.

Bella glances at me quickly and then back to Charlotte. "After the New Year."

"What's it like living in Singapore? Do you like it there?" she asks me.

The rest of the people on the table stop talking and turn to look at me.

"Um," I say. "I –"

"Char," Mike whines and rubs his palm down one half of his face. "Edward doesn't live in Singapore. Remember? I explained to you."

"What?" she seems confused, and then a sudden realization comes upon her. Her face turns beet red. "Oh shit," she covers her mouth with her hands. "You're the ones who have a kid together, right?"

Mike whimpers beside her.

"Oh shit!" she realizes once more that she's shoved her foot deeper down her throat. "I'm sorry."

I chuckle, trying to diffuse the growing awkwardness. "It's okay, Charlotte," I say. I hope it lets her off the hook. Mike looks embarrassed and irritated. "Yes, Bella and I have a son together. And yes, I live in New Jersey, which is quite nice actually."

Bella's hand slips away off of my thigh, and appears on top of the table. She plays with the teaspoon absently her gaze upon it. I feel her inching away from me, distancing herself. I'm reminded of the fact that there are still so many things to discuss. Her brain is probably racing, and all I want is to just allay her fears. I pull my arm off the back of her chair and hold her hand that is twirling the teaspoon. She looks up at me and I look straight into her eyes as I say, "But I'm looking forward to visit and see how they live in Singapore soon." Her eyes brighten, and one of the most beautiful smiles I've ever seen emerges on her lips.

I don't know if anyone else at the table heard me. I don't care. All I care about is that she knows that I acknowledge that her life is there. Despite everything, I'll do what I can to honor that.

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><p>The night goes on a much lighter note as more drinks come to the table. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, even Angela, who opts for a fruity spritzer in lieu of wine. From the moment I told Bella that I'd be interested to visit to Singapore, her hand's remained in mine. No more clandestine touching. We sit so close to each other, we might as well be sharing the chair. I don't care. I love having her so close to me; I put my arms on her shoulders to bring her even closer. The wine makes me care less about the propriety of public displays of affection.<p>

At one point, she buries her face into my neck in shame, when Mike teases her about the time she flashed them her baby blue bra during a game of Truth or Dare in our Junior year. My fingers dig into her hair as we laugh.

I didn't even know about that. I wish I'd been there. A hint of jealously niggles at me knowing that they'd seen an intimate part of her before I did. I glance across the table, and catch Tyler watching us intently. He'd been Bella's first kiss and later boyfriend in our Senior year.

She'll never know, but, when we were thirteen, he punched me in the eye over her. He told everyone that she'd kissed him on the lips behind the field bleachers during one of our school dances. I didn't believe him and called him on it. I called him a motor-mouth kiss-and-tell, he answered with his right fist. I stayed away from school for a day or so after that, telling everyone I had pink eye. Also, I gave him my He-Man action figure collection, just so he'd shut up about the whole thing.

He nods, acknowledging that I'd caught him. I nod back, feeling a little smug knowing that she's wound up with me in the end, when it really matters. For some reason, it feels like we've made amends over some unspoken tension between us. Other than that one incident, it seemed like he'd treated Bella alright through the rest of their relationship in high school.

"I think we should get going," Bella whispers into my ear. The hairs on my arms stand, as her lips touch my lobe, warm breath fanning against my jaw.

I glance at my wristwatch quickly. It's just ten, and it doesn't seem like the party's ready to end. Under the table, she rubs the inside of my thigh with her hand. _Hell yeah! We're going._

I extricate myself from her, and make a little bit of a show of checking my watch, and announce that we need to leave. Mike boos us, for splitting early, but I don't really care. I hand Eric a hundred dollar bill, which I think is enough to cover our share for dinner. He protests that it's too much, but I insist. After a rushed good bye and promises to see each other one more time before the New Year, Bella and I escape to the car. Before driving off, she kisses me with such fervor that it sears into my body. I'm tingling just knowing what's coming next.

We're quiet in the car, but the heat and tension between us is palpable. I swear we're fogging up the car windows, just thinking about what was coming next. _But where? _

I head on the main highway and drive straight down through town. I keep driving south in the direction of the tiny airstrip we call the Forks Airport. Bella inhales sharply when the flickering vacancy sign of the old Riverside drive-in motel comes into view. It's known as the place where the teenagers go to have sex of the first time. It's not where I'm taking her, and she relaxes instantly once we drive past it.

I finally turn off on to a road that leads to the place I have in mind. Bella peers through the window at the dark outline of the little cottage I park in front of.

"Where are we?" she asks.

"It's my Dad's old fishing cottage," I answer as step out of the car. I quickly run over to her side, and open the door for her. The gentle rush of the waters of the Bogachiel river overcomes the quiet in the air. "He still comes here several times during the year." I'm confident it's in decent, clean shape. It's a simple rustic cottage, but with all the basic amenities. It's certainly a hundred times better than some seedy motel.

We hold hands as we walk to the front door. The key is still tucked in a small matchbox inside one of the hanging lamps on the small porch. The door creaks as I push it open, and the lights come on quickly after the flick of the switch. Everything inside still looks as I remember it, the small galley kitchen and round table on the left, the queen-sized bed positioned against the wall on the right. You could see the river and trees outside through the windows and French doors that led to the outside deck. Bella takes everything in as she walks to the back of the old futon that faced the river.

"This is nice," she says as she lays her purse and wrap on the futon frame. When she turns around, I take the few strides to come face-to-face with her. She surprised by my quickness. I'm doing all I can to keep my urge to pounce on her reined in.

I hold her around her waist, and she lays her hands on my chest. She seems shy all of a sudden, despite her apparent eagerness earlier. After staring into her eyes for a moment, I brush my lips against hers. Her aggressive side comes back to life, as we start kissing harder, pushing our bodies against each other. Her lips and tongue burn against mine. I move her towards the bed, which really is just a few steps away. Her hands travel over my clothes, down to where I'm now straining against my pants. I quickly find the zipper on the back of her dress and slide the pull down. My other hand trails down her bare, supple skin down to her ass, and slips under the fabric of her panty. She sucks hard on my bottom lip, just as I pull her against me, grinding her pelvis against mine. The friction we create is divine, and all I really want it to take her as soon as possible.

By the time we reach the bed, she's undone my belt. She pushes my pants down to my ankles and pushes me down to sit on the bed. I've managed to hitch her dress up to her waist, and we break away from each other, giving each other just the right amount of time to pull things off things over our heads.

Once I'm free of my shirt, the only thing left between us is underwear. She's wearing a simple white lacey set, nothing overly fancy, but nice. I hold her hips, admiring her well-kept body. A few tiny stretch marks appear just below the hip line of her panty. I run my thumbs over the marks with thanks that these were created by giving birth to our son. I lay a kiss on her flat, but soft tummy, just above her belly button. Her fingers run deliciously through my hair. I look up at her, and gazes into my eyes. I know that after this moment, we pass the point of no return.

"Bella."

"Yes, Edward?" She tweaks the top of my forehead, brushing aside my hair.

"Whatever it takes, Bella. I promise to do my best to make you happy."

"I know you will," she answers. I stand to seal my promise with a kiss.

My hands trace the sides and slip under the fabric covering her. I sit back down on the bad as I slide her panty down her legs and I kiss her at one side of her hip, in the area where the first stretch mark appears. I line her pelvic line with kisses across to the other side, while my fingers follow the line between her legs up to where she's warm and wanting. She lets out a loud moan when my fingers make contact.

"Oh Edward!" She tumbles forward and I turn us over so she's lying on her back. I proceed to fulfill my first duty of the night with my lips moving down her body.

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><p><em>Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I really do appreciate it.<em>


	24. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – First Crush<strong>

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><p>1223/2008, Tuesday

A strained cry escapes Bella's lips just before she collapses against me. I'm breathing hard against her chest, savoring my own orgasm, still feeling the tingles throughout my body as she climbs off my lap, and we snuggle into each other.

I'm so blissed out that all I can really do now is keep my arms around her. The peace flowing in me is akin to the high of a drug, I want to have it, again and again. I know only Bella can sate the past five years of craving for her particular touch. It's quite possible I'd been craving it for even longer.

Bella was my first crush as kid. I always wanted to be around her and find ways to make her pay me some attention. When you're eight years old, you work those things out in the oddest of ways. Some boys pulled hair or teased. I decided to push her into the rec center pool. She wound up with a gash on her leg and a sprained ankle because she'd hit the cement pool ledge on her way in. The attention I was paid immediately after that wasn't exactly the kind I had in mind. It was the angriest I'd ever seen my Mom with me.

I stifle a chuckle as I remember my Mom's red face.

"What's so funny?" Bella asks as she adjusts her head on my shoulder. The fresh scent of her shampoo is so enticing that I can't help but nuzzle my nose into her hair.

"Nothing," I say, still smiling into her hair. "Did you know that I had the biggest crush on you when we were kids."

"You had a crush on me?" Bella flips on to her stomach and rests her chin on my chest. I nodded.

"Then why were you always so mean to me?"

"I didn't mean to be. I was just trying to get your attention. I didn't know you were supposed to be nice to the girl you liked"

"Gee, thanks," Bella smiles and lays a quick kiss on my chest. "You boys were always hard to figure out."

I raise my hands in surrender. "Hey! I didn't know what I was doing then. Half the time, I still don't." We laugh quietly and when it fades, Bella's face turns tentative.

"So, what happens next, Edward?"

I guess now is as good as any to start talking about these issues. "We take one step at a time."

She sits up, tucking her legs under her. I sit up too, sliding back toward the head board and lean on it. "What's the first step?" She wraps the flat sheet around her shoulders, and I cover my waist and lower body with the throw.

"I want to file the paternity papers for Nathan and give him my family name."

She looks at me with her eyes narrowed. "Is there something wrong with the one he has now?"

I know I need to be careful. I don't want to set her off and have everything we've gone through these past few days go to waste. "Bella, I would love for him to use Cullen as his last name. If you feel strongly about it, let's compromise. I wouldn't have a problem with him using both our last names."

"Swan-Cullen?" The look on her face shows that she's considering it. I take that as a good sign.

I nod. "He now knows that I'm his dad, and that he has cousins. I want him to know that he's part of a large family that loves him. Having my last name will reinforce that."

Bella mulls it over quietly. Her lips purse and twist as she thinks. She closes her eyes, and says, "Okay."

"Okay?" While I am surprised, I am happy that she agrees.

"Yes. Swan-Cullen works. What do you need from me for us to work this out?"

"There are papers that need to be signed and filed. Once that's filed, we can work on the child support."

"We don't need your support,"

One thing Bella is, is obstinate, possibly just as much as I am, but she's just stepped in to compromise, this is further than we've ever gotten. "I know you don't, but I want to give it. He's my son, and I have a responsibility to him."

"But I can..."

"I know you can provide everything he needs, Bella. Don't use the money I give, save it for his college education, I don't care. Just let me participate." I reach out and take her hand. It's a gesture I hope conveys that I'm not looking for a fight and that all I want is what's best for Nathan.

She attempts to pull her hand out of my grasp, but I hold firmer. "Bella, I'm not going to ram anything down your throat, I promise. We just have to agree on some things so we can move forward."

"Edward, I know you want to be involved with him, but we live so far away. He's going to need a man in his life who will be there for him to take him to his sport events, or build Legos with him, or read with him at night."

"Teach him how to pee without exposing his ass," I add.

"Exactly. How are we going to do this when we're in Singapore and you're in New Jersey?"

"We'll make it work, Bella."

"How? Did you really mean it when you said you would come to Singapore?"

"Of course I did, Bella. We'll have to figure out a schedule for that too. I just can't leave my business or Jane, but we'll figure that part out until we can decide on something more permanent," I assure her. "How much longer do you have on your contract in Singapore?"

"I have another year on my current contract, but we've been in talks for another extension."

"Before all this, what were you planning to do if they didn't renew your contract?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. I really hadn't put much thought into it. I always thought I'd either convert to becoming a local hire or move to Germany to global headquarters.

"What about coming back State-side? Did you ever think of that?"

"Well, not until now. I didn't really think I had anything to come back to after Dad died."

"Well, I'm here now."

"I know." The corner of her bottom lip disappears beneath her teeth. She seems to shrink into the little cocoon she made for herself with the sheet.

I fold my legs at the knees and tucked under me and lean forward toward her. "Bella, what was it that you wanted me to say five years ago?"

She inhales deeply. "I wrote you a letter, the night before I my first flight to Singapore. I asked you to tell me to stay."

"I never got the letter," I say.

"I know. I never mailed it."

"Why?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't ask."

"Will you stay now?"

"I can't."

My heart drops at her refusal. This is what I was so afraid of back then. I'm suddenly not sure if we've made any progress at all. With regard to Nathan, we've gone miles, but between us, I don't even know where we are. All I know is, I want her to stay and be with me to raise Nathan and Jane together. Maybe even have another child again. I want a family like what my parents have. It's Bella I want to grow old with her. I don't want her to go.

"Bella…"

"Edward, I can't stay now, but I'll come back if you ask me to."

Now, my heart is leaping in my chest. I'm on my knees, cradling her face in my hands and she moves up to maintain eye level. Her eyes are brimming with tears. "You'll come back to me?"

She nods, the first tear rolls down her cheek. "I'll always come back to you, Edward. It's always been you." Her hand is soft against my cheek.

Hearing her say it makes me realize the same thing. It's always been her too. "I love you, Isabella Swan." A hot tear escapes from the corner of my eye, but she rubs it with her thumb before it rolls down my face.

"I love you too, Edward Cullen."

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><p><em>In case any of you are interested to see some of the visuals that inspire this story and who I envision as Edward and Bella, send me a PM and I'll send you the link to my Pinterest board. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.<em>


	25. Chapter 24

**I apologize for the delay in the posts from last week. I ran into a little snag last week that interrupted my writing time. Thank you all for reading and reviewing.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Dormant<strong>

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><p>Rustling sheets and the undulating bed wake me. Opening my eyes, I find Bella sitting up beside me. Her brown hair falls in waves down her bare back as she stretches her arms up over her head, her fingers clasped together.<p>

With the tip of my finger, I trace a line down the side of her back. She startles, and giggles as she tries to catch my finger with her hand. "Hey," she says as turns to look down at me. "Good morning," she says quietly with a timid smile. She lays a closed mouth kiss on my lips. I do the same out of fear for morning breath.

"Good morning," I respond, not helping the giddy smile that comes to my lips.

The windows have no curtains, and I can see the trees outside as the early dawn light grows brighter. I know it's time for us to head back home. No one knows we're here so someone is bound to start worrying.

Bella climbs over me and straddles my hips. She sits right on top of my morning erection, and smiles teasingly. I hold on to her hips and move against her, just rubbing, not penetrating. She inhales deep and exhales as she slowly lowers the rest of her body against mine. "As much as I'd like to have you inside me right now," she whispers into my ear, "I don't think it'll be much longer before the phones start ringing."

I chuckle, and wrap my arms around her back, squeezing her close against me. "I know. Just promise me we'll do this again really soon."

"Oh, I think we'll find the time." She lays one more kiss on my lips before hopping off the bed. She picks up her clothes and heads right to the bathroom on the other side of the room.

I root around the floor for my own clothes and quickly pull on my boxer shorts and undershirt. The faucet in the bathroom sink is running, and I can hear her getting ready. All this, though mundane, is comfortable to me; it adds to the peace I'm feeling.

I fish my cell phone from out of my pants pocket before putting them on. I check for any voicemails or text messages. Sure enough, there's a text message from Alice at about one o'clock wondering why I wasn't home yet. She and Jasper had seen Mike and Charlotte Newton at the bar after our dinner. They told them that we'd left the party early.

A subsequent message from her says _I hope you're having fun_ with a winking smiley emoticon at the end.

Bella walks out of the bathroom, completely dressed. Her face is freshly washed, and her hair is smoother and tamed. "Your turn," she says as she walks by me.

In the small bathroom, I do my own routine and in lieu of a toothbrush, I use my finger to spread toothpaste over my teeth and tongue to freshen my breath. She's typing a message on her cell phone when I come out. Before we walk out of the cottage, we exchange the kiss we'd been wanting to give each other every since we woke up.

* * *

><p>We arrive at Bella's house at about six o'clock. Before she steps out, I hand her the envelope of papers. "I wanted to talk to you about these documents last night before we went out."<p>

She takes the package, opens the flap, and peeks in. I reach over and close the flap. "Take your time Bella. I know you've already agreed, but if you want someone to look them over before you sign them, go ahead."

She nods. "I have been talking to someone, so I'll have them take a look at this." She gestures in a fanning motion.

"I'm sure they'll find everything in order," I assure her, but I do not push further. I'd expected that she would have her own legal counsel on the issue. It's just the first time I've heard her mention them.

"I'm sure," she says. She tucks the packet under her arm and then she pulls on the lever of the door. "So, when do we see you again?"

"I don't know just yet. Maybe sometime this afternoon? I have to go with Alice to pick out my Mom's Christmas gift first, then maybe Jane and I can come over?"

She smiles, "That will be nice. You need to tell her."

I nod. "I know. I'll do it this morning. I just have to figure out how to do it."

"Oh, I have a feeling she's got some idea already. They're pretty perceptive these kids."

"You're right. I just hope she takes it as well as Nathan did."

* * *

><p>"You mean I'm not going to be your baby anymore?" Jane whines.<p>

This isn't going as easily as I'd hoped. After breakfast, I sit down with Jane as she watches cartoons. Alice advises me that I should just tell Jane directly that Nathan is her brother. I'm worried about the straightforwardness of it all, so I step around the issue. I ask her what she thinks about having a brother. Jane thinks she's going to have a baby brother.

"No Jane. I mean an older brother," deciding to just follow my sister's advice. "Like Nathan."

Jane tilts her head to the side. "Nathan? He's okay. He's a little grouchy though, like Oscar."

"Oscar?"

"You know, Oscar the Grouch?" she says then makes a growling sound.

I chuckle at the obvious connection she's made. I guess my Sesame Street knowledge has lain dormant for a while.

"Can I choose another brother? Like Noah? I think I want to have Noah as a brother. He's small and I can carry him."

I laugh again. "No Jane, you don't get to choose who your brother will be. It doesn't work that way."

She twists her lips to the side as she thinks. She even touches her fingers to her chin, as if she's pondering something. "So Nathan is going to be my brother?"

"Well, he _is_ your brother," I say, hoping that I am clear about what I am telling her.

"What about Bella? Am I getting a new mommy too?" This seems to worry her.

"No. Your mommy is _your_ mommy. Bella is Bella; Nathan's mommy. Bella won't be taking over as your mommy." I'm not sure if that makes sense to her, but it's the simplest presentation I can think of.

"Are they going to live with us?"

"No." I am surprised by how much this saddens me. I know things can't happen overnight, but is bums me out nevertheless. "Not yet."

"That's too bad. You need someone to take care of you," she says. "I can't be the only one doing everything around here."

I hug my little princess tight. I'm grateful and relieved that she's too young to ask the really tough questions. Despite that, I know I need to be ready for when she does.


	26. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Vivid<strong>

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><p>1223/2008, Tuesday

Alice and I head out to buy Mom's Christmas present from the jewelry store my Dad's frequented all these years. It's owned by an Italian family, hailing from Volterra in the Tuscan region of the country. The brothers Aro and Marcus now run the store. They also own the Bella Italia restaurant in Port Angeles, which is run by their other brother, Caius.

It's a tradition in our family for each child to buy Mom a gemstone charm pendant for each grandchild added to the clan. Alice didn't get to buy her one last year for Noah, because she was still reeling from having an infant. I, of course, want to add one more, for Nathan. Alice chooses a pendant made with lapis lazuli for the blue in his eyes, while I choose a garnet pendant to match the color Nathan's hair will eventually turn into. Just like mine. I'd given her a citrine pendant for Jane for her blonde hair.

"Is there anything else you would like for your special someone?" Aro asks me as he returns the leather tray of pendants inside the glass showcase.

I feel Alice's eyes upon me. I can tell she's wondering what I would do. I just smile and shake my head. Alice turns around and walks toward Marcus, who asks if she'd like something for herself. Aro is still waiting across from me, behind the glass counter, his arm directing me to a showcase with diamonds.

I'd followed my father's tradition to gift Mom with a nice piece of jewelry when each of us was born. I gave Tanya a diamond tennis bracelet when she gave birth to Jane. I wasn't sure about how to go about choosing something for Bella. I wanted to give her something special, but something not too overwhelming.

The case he showed me was dazzling. The light refracting against the clear, bright stones set in yellow gold, white gold, or platinum. I didn't want to get her a ring. Too much meaning could be associated to that. The designs of the necklace pendants, however, were too familiar. I was certainly not going to give her the same thing as Tanya, so I opted for a pair of diamond studs earrings. The design featured a round diamond in the center of a ring of smaller diamonds. Simple enough to be worn even on casual days, but valuable nonetheless. I quickly hand Aro my credit card and ask him to quickly ring up and wrap the items before Alice notices.

I turn around to check on where she is. She's trying on a pearl necklace in front of a mirror. Her eyes meet mine in her reflection. "She'll like those," she says with a smile. _Nope, there's nothing secret from Alice._

-o-

On our way home, Bella sends a text saying that Leah's requested the night off to go out on a date. The firefighter she met during Mom and Dad's party wants to see her again before she goes home after Christmas. Leah is scheduled to return to Singapore a few days earlier than Bella and Nathan.

_Could you ask Emmett if this Embry boy is a nice one?_ Her next text reads.

_I will,_ I text back and put my phone aside. By the time we get home, another message is received.

_Would you and Jane care for a sleepover?_

I smile. _Sure. Should we bring something?_

_I'll order pizza. A Christmas movie would be good. I have wine._

* * *

><p>Jane and I get to Bella's house well before Leah is to be picked up. I keep Nathan busy on the keyboard as Jane and Bella help Leah get ready. Bella lends her some jewelry, and she looks quite lovely by the time Embry comes to pick her up.<p>

Emmett's assured me that Embry is a nice boy and that he would treat Leah properly. Apparently, it is a known fact within the fire department that he'd become smitten with Leah.

Both Bella and I watch them walk out the door and even wave good bye to them as they drive off. "Is this what it's going to be like when Jane goes on her first date?" I ask, feeling oddly protective over the nanny.

Bella just laughs.

In moments, the pizza arrives and we all change into pajamas. We settle in front of the TV with an old VHS player with the pizza and a bowl of popcorn on the coffee table in front of us. Rosalie managed to find an old VHS copy of the stop-animation movie _Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer_ and lent it to me. The movie is so old, or maybe it's the TV, that the colors don't seem as vivid as I remember Nevertheless, the kids still enjoy it. It feels nice to just lounge on a couch with Nathan and Jane sitting between us.

Bella and I share a bottle of red wine, while the kids have milk, with our pizza. The wine tastes good and has a very soothing quality to it. Possibly, because I'm short on sleep, it affects me right away and I fall asleep somewhere in the middle of the movie. Before I know it, Bella is nudging me awake. Nathan and Jane have already fallen asleep and she needs help to carry them upstairs.

They share the bed that Nathan sleeps in. To keep them from bumping into each other, we lay them crosswise on the mattress on opposite ends. They're still small enough to fit the width of the mattress. I watch them for a moment before I follow Bella out of the room. Seeing them like this fills my heart with joy. I like this. This feels good.

Bella leads me down the short hallway to a bedroom, obviously not the masters. "I can't get myself to sleep in his bedroom," she explains as she enters the room. "Leah's using that room now."

I walk to the window that faces the street and peer through the curtains. The branches of the old tree in front of the house hang close to the window. Once, I watched Bella and Angela climb up the tree and go in through this window. It was after a party at the quarry, and they'd hitched a ride home with Emmett and me.

Bella wraps her arms around my waist from behind. Her warm breath comes through the fabric of my t-shirt. It surprises me more and more how many memories of Bella I have. All of them stopped when she left for college.

"Bella, how come you never came back after high school?" I rub her hands that rest on top of my stomach.

"I didn't mean to," she says as she loosens her embrace. I turn to face her and lean against the windowsill and take her hands in mine. "The money was tough, and as time went on, school work got harder. So it just wasn't easy to come back. Dad said he understood, and tried to visit me when he could. I think I only managed one trip back for our class reunion after 9/11."

I remember that trip. I was home too. It felt like it was more important to return to your roots that year. We'd exchanged e-mail addresses and kept in touch that way.

"After that trip, I realized that there really wasn't much of a connection left for me to keep coming back. I don't know what it was, but maybe because I'd spent so much time away already, it didn't feel like home to me anymore. It felt more like a trap.

"It made me realize what my Mom must have felt. She bolted as quickly as she could." Bella snorts and pulls her hands out of mine. She shakes her head and turns to walk toward the bed and sits down on it.

I join her.

"She got knocked up, you know, while she was on vacation here with her parents. She was just seventeen years old. She found out when she'd returned home to Seattle. Her parents insisted that Dad marry her. And he did." A tear rolls down her cheek.

"I don't think they even really loved each other. They didn't really try much. Dad was always working, and she couldn't seem to keep a job around town. Because of that, she used to take me to visit my grandparents in Seattle every couple of months. I must have been ten years old when she met Phil."

Phil was a minor league baseball player. Everyone in town had heard of some version of the story of how Renee Swan had left the Chief and Bella for him.

"I came home from school one day, and she was gone. Dad didn't even seem surprised. She tried to explain it to me once, when I was sixteen. But I thought it was all bullshit. One thing that stuck with me though was one of her last lines to me. 'Once you see what's out there, you'll know why I needed to escape,' she told me. I haven't spoken to her since then."

More tears are streaming down her face. It's as if the dam holding back all her heartache is breached. She's not even trying to wipe them off.

She snorts again. "Figures, I'd follow in her footsteps."

"No you didn't," I say. I hold her by the shoulder and turn her to look at me. "You're not your mom, Bella."

"I know I'm not, Edward. But once I realized I was pregnant, it scared me to death. I was so far away already. I didn't want you to feel like you were obligated to me, like my Dad was to Renee. I didn't want you to be with me just because you knocked me up."

"Bella…"

"I was wrong not to say anything when I left. And worse, I kept Nathan a secret from you. I robbed you of your opportunity to be a father to him, at the very least."

I brush my thumb over her lips to silence her outpouring of regret. I'd forgiven her already, and I just want to move on. "Bella, maybe things were meant to be this way for us. Who knows? Maybe if I'd asked you to stay, things wouldn't have worked out the way it has. What if I wasn't ready then either?"

"But, Edward…"

"Bella, I don't regret anything that happened between us. Between Tanya and I. I have no regrets. I think I understand what you meant about how your parents didn't really seem to love each other. I know I loved Tanya, but there was something that just wasn't there. I can't put my finger on it, but I have to be honest, I wasn't all that devastated when she filed for a divorce." Bella cocks her head to the side, seeming surprised.

"I was hurt, of course, but it wasn't as if I'd been broadsided. While I was working, it didn't seem as bad because we were both busy building our lives. But when I lost my job, it seemed like I'd lost her respect. When she filed for the divorce, I sort of expected it." It feels good to finally say these things out loud. I'd never voiced my thoughts to any one. Relief overcomes me.

"Even before I learned about Nathan, I was already a happier man after the divorce. Now, I am much happier." I cradle her face in my hands.

She smiles meekly through her tears.

"Just promise me Bella, no more secrets."

She nods her head and repeats, "No more secrets."

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><p><em>Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. As you can see we're moving into the final quarter of the story. I hope you continue to enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.<em>


	27. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Flaunt<strong>

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><p>1224/2008

After making love, Bella and I decide that it would be prudent for me to sleep on the couch downstairs. We both think it would be best not to flaunt our coupling in the children's faces. It's enough that they know we're together and that they're siblings. Allowing them to find us sleeping in the same bed will open another can of worms that, frankly, we're both not ready to deal with. Bella stays with me for as long as she can keep her eyes open.

At some point before Bella goes upstairs, Leah arrives from her date. She seems happy and quite giddy. She bids us a quick goodnight and practically bounces up the stairs.

I sleep rather soundly, until someone pokes me in my cheek. When I open my eyes, both Jane and Nathan are standing over me, their faces so close, like their examining my face. They giggle happily together. I want to hear that sound every day.

I quickly grab them by their waists and tickle their bellies. This makes them laugh even heartier.

"Who dares wake up the ogre?" I growl. It's a game I play with Jane when she wakes me up in the morning. I keep tickling until she can say her name clearly while I tickle.

Jane quickly responds and gets released. Nathan can't stop laughing and he can't say his name.

"His name is Nathan!" Jane screams as she tries to pry my fingers away from his tummy.

"Who? I don't think I know this boy named Nathan." I keep my ogre voice and continue tickling. His face is turning red, but he's still laughing.

Jane crawls over me and tries to pull my arm away. "He's my brother," she says as she keeps pulling on my arm. Nathan is still laughing and writhing.

I can't help but loosen my grip at hearing Jane declare him as her brother. I pretend to weaken, but in truth, I'm actually a little shaken. It's all falling into place the way I'd always hoped it would be.

"Quick, Nathan!" Jane manages to open my arms enough for Nathan to escape. He bolts away from me, still laughing and a little bit out of breath. Jane grabs his hand and they run in the direction of the playroom down the hall.

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><p>It's Christmas Eve and everyone is running around making sure all the preparations are completed for the next day. Mom always serves a sumptuous brunch, and now that we're so many, all the food tasks are divvied up amongst us.<p>

Mom makes the roast beef. Rosalie makes the sides of mashed potatoes and green beans. Alice is assigned to make Mom's favorite dish of brussels sprouts with bacon and onions and a cheesy pasta dish for the younger children. Bella volunteers to make a roasted chicken.

The rest of us are in charge of the kids, keeping them entertained.

The atmosphere is chaotic, just as it would be when a family comes together to prepare for a big celebration. This is how I'd always dreamt it to be.

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><p><em>I apologize for ending this chapter at this spot. It seems the best place right now for what I have planned next. Thank you for reading and your kind reviews.<em>


	28. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Coal (529/12)/Waiting for the right moment (6/4/2012)**

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><p>1225/2008

This is the first Christmas, in a very long while, that we're all actually together. Since we're no longer all under one roof, we have to wait for the rest of the kids and Nathan to arrive. Mom and Dad happily entertain Jane and Noah during the wait.

Emmett and his brood arrive just before nine. Bella, Nathan and Leah, walk through the door immediately after them. I quickly take the foil covered roast from her, while Leah carries the bags of wrapped Christmas gifts.

The children can barely contain themselves so Dad goes to the tree and starts calling out names. Each child collects their present and finds a spot on the floor to build their stacks. Once all the children's gifts are distributed, Dad gives the go signal to start unwrapping. In seconds the room is filled with the sound of ripping paper, and whoops and squeals.

The twins each receive their own iPod Nano from Mom and Dad. Nathan receives a Lego Star Wars X-Wing set, while Jane receives a small plush stuffed toy pet. It comes with a code to register the pet online. Noah shakes the empty box of a Leap Pad, its contents being examined by Jasper.

Within minutes, the boys are all huddled together looking at each other's new toys. Jane is twirling around in her new fairy costume and granting wishes with her little wand.

Bella and I settle on the floor beside each other as we open our presents. Mom and Dad give me a picture frame with a copy of the picture of the family from their anniversary party. A picture of themselves with all the grandchildren is propped on the mantle. I receive a small book called _The Last Lecture_ from Emmett and Rosalie, and a leather wallet from Alice and Jasper. A small burlap sack with the words "lump of coal" is from Bella. I frown, feigning disappointment.

"You'll just have to come over tonight for your real gift," Bella whispers seductively in my ear. I giggle and try to plant a kiss on her cheek. Bella attempts to evade, but I grab the back of her head and try to kiss her, on the mouth, this time. She squeals as she struggles out of my grasp.

A wad of crumpled wrapping paper whizzes by my ear from behind us. "Get a room!" Emmett teases.

I quickly let go of Bella and apologize softly for putting her in an awkward position in front of my family. She's blushing furiously, but laughing it off. She returns to opening her presents.

My parents give her the same picture frame they gave me. It's the picture that was taken after Dad dragged her into the session. She stands beside Nathan, on the opposite side of the family. She opens up a small box with a scarf, which is from Emmett and Rosalie. Alice and Jasper give her a small travel folio in the same leather as my wallet.

She finally comes to my gift and she gasps as she picks up the small gift bag from the jewelers. She eyes me curiously, and I just whisper, "Merry Christmas, Bella." I tuck some of her hair behind her earlobe. She's wearing small pearl earrings.

Once she opens the gift, she gives me a quick hug, "They're beautiful, Edward."

She then pulls off her pearl earrings to replace them with the diamond studs. She gives me another hug, and kisses me on the lips. My fingers dig into her hair as we continue to kiss warmly.

"Enough, already," Emmett says and strikes the back of my head with an empty cardboard box.

Bella releases me and says, "You're just jealous!"

The room erupts in laughter all over again.

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><p>As soon as the living room is cleaned up, Mom announces that brunch is ready. The air is filled with the smell of baked bread and roast beef and the sound of clinking flatware on porcelain. The dining table isn't long enough for all of us, so the kids occupy at the small breakfast nook in the kitchen. I peek in occasionally to check on the kids, making sure they're all okay. Leah opts to sit with them.<p>

Dad informed me early that morning that the Denalis would be dropping off some gifts for Jane during the day. When the doorbell rings halfway through brunch, I stand up quickly to greet him.

At the door, it's just Eli, carrying a small stack of colorful wrapped gifts. He appears cheerful, but there's a worry in his eyes. Something is up.

"Merry Christmas, Eli," I say. "Where's Carmen?"

"Merry Christmas, Edward. She's at home." He offers me the gifts. He keeps an eye on a white envelope right on top of the stack. I glance down at the note-sized envelope that bears my name in Tanya's unmistakable script.

I look up at him, and he's now obviously perturbed. "I'm sorry Edward, she arrived last night."

_She's here? _

My back instantly goes rigid, and all my joy is replaced by irritation and anger. My shoulders stiffen and my jaw hurts from grinding my molars against each other. "What does she want?" I ask through my teeth.

"She said she just wants to talk." He raises his hands up, encouraging calm.

It's that last thing I am.

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><p><em>I apologize for the lack of posts last week. Work and real-life had to take precedence. Oh, and I also celebrated my 40th birthday over the weekend so, it was a challenge to sit at the writing table this week. Thank you for your patience.<em>


	29. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>WitFit – Field<strong>

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><p>Eli bids me farewell quickly, saying he doesn't wish to disturb us any further. He seems relieved that he's delivered his message.<p>

I close the door, but find myself unable to move from my spot. I continue standing there, in front of the closed door, staring at the envelope. I'm curious to find out what she has in mind, and I'm surprised that she's come all this way to talk to me.

Even though she lives just twenty minutes away from my house in New Jersey, we hardly see or interact with each other. Limiting our interactions to Jane's drop-off and pick-up help keep things pleasant and civil between us.

Jane comes stomping down the hallway. "More presents!" she squeals.

I hand them to her. "They're from Grandma Carmen and Grandpa Eli," I tell her. In seconds the wrapping paper's ripped to shreds. I stuff the envelope into the back pocket of my pants and return to the dining table. I try my best to get back into the swing of the conversation, but fail. I'm so irritated, that I don't even finish the food on my plate.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Edward,<em>

_I know everything. There's no need for a scene or to disturb anyone else's holiday. In light of your new circumstances, I believe some changes to our agreement are in order. Please come to my parents' house tonight._

_Tanya_

What's going on?" Bella asks as she touches my elbow when she comes into the kitchen. I've retreated there to have a cup of coffee and some private time to read the note and think. I've been sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter, my forehead buried in the palm of my hand.

I slide the note toward Bella, who's now leaning on her elbow against the counter. "Tanya's here," I say.

Bella eyes the note quickly; certainly not enough time to read what it says. "What does she want?"

"She says she wants to talk. Probably about the custody agreement." I shrug. Just thinking about it makes the hair on my arms bristle.

"What exactly is your agreement regarding Jane?"

I explain to her the hard compromise we made. Neither of us can take Jane out-of-state on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. The agreement effectively prevents us from seeking or accepting employment beyond a 100-mile radius of her legal residence, which is my house.

"How about vacations? Like this one?"

"I formally had to inform her about this trip and certify that we weren't going to be away for more than 20 days. As long as we meet those requirements, it's within the terms of the agreement."

Bella is silent. Her eyebrows knit together with concern. It's clear that she's thinking about how this will affect her and Nathan. I can almost feel the wall between us coming back up.

"Is this the kind of agreement you'll be expecting from me?" There's a jagged edge to the tone of her voice.

"Bella, it's not the same."

"What's different?"

"Bella, that agreement was a result of a divorce. You and I aren't divorced."

'We're not married. We have a child together. We live apart. How different is that from you situation with Tanya?"

I don't understand what she's getting at. Her face is expressionless; so matter-of-fact.

"Bella, you live in Singapore. I know I can't make you come back at the snap of a finger. There are things you need to take care of, a contract to fulfill. When that's up, you and Nathan will be back stateside."

Bella steps away from the kitchen counter. "And that's what _you've _decided on?"

"But you said…"

"I said I'd come back if you asked me to. You haven't asked, Edward."

"Is this some sort of test, Bella? It's all a matter of semantics. I want you to come back. To me and Jane."

"It's not just semantics. Do you even know what it is you're expecting me to do? You're expecting me to give up my career. The life I've built on my own."

"Don't you want to be with me?"

"Edward, I do. But it can't just be something you assume I'm going to do. You need to ask me, Edward. Show me that you honor me and the choices I've made."

I'm thoroughly confused now. Everything is coming at me from left field. _Haven't I done that by agreeing to go to Singapore?_ "Why can't I assume that you'll be coming back? Can't I expect that you'll choose me? After everything we've been through?"

"Edward, it's not as simple as that. Are you telling me, right now, that you are expecting me and Nathan to come home when my contract is up?"

"Yes. Is this not what we decided on?"

"When did we decide this?"

"Are you serious, Bella? Two nights ago, you said you'd come home if I asked." I'm flustered and confused, my temper getting the best of me.

"Yes, I did."

"So what's the issue here? Why are you all of a sudden making everything so difficult?"

"Do you hear yourself, Edward?"

I rub my hands down my face in frustration. "I don't know what—"

Rosalie walks into the room, and stops short when she sees us. Her eyes scan us, and I see her understanding of what's going on. She quickly backs out of the room, but our discussion's already been disrupted.

Bella moves to leave the kitchen. I hold on to her arm, to keep her from leaving. "Bella, don't –"

She gently pulls her arm out of my grasp. "Edward, meet with Tanya and find out what she wants. Nathan and I will drive Leah to the airport tomorrow morning, then meet with my attorneys in the afternoon. We'll talk when we get back. I mean, really talk."

"Let me go with you to bring Leah, I don't want you driving that far."

"Edward, the day apart will be good. It will give us a chance to breathe for a bit."

She quickly collects Nathan and Leah, and thanks everyone. Like a whirlwind, she's gone.

I'm stunned and befuddled. _What the fuck just happened?_

It's a sentiment that echoes through the house as I grab the car keys and head on to Tanya's house.

* * *

><p><em>The thing with WitFit drabble pieces is, they don't necessarily result in what you have originally plannedplotted. The last scene here surprised me, to say the least. I guess E and B still need to work things out between themselves. I am rolling with this new development and see how it turns out. I hope you'll bear with me to the end._

_Thank you for reading and your kind thoughts._


	30. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

* * *

><p><strong>Witfit – Daughter (66/12) /Disdain (6/7/12)**

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><p>1225/2008

The drive to Tanya's house is quick. There are no cars on the road, as it should be. Everyone else is enjoying their special holiday with their families. I, on the other hand, feel like I'm trying desperately to piece one together.

It's really all I've ever wanted; an intact family. It's what I had with my parents. I thought I'd found it, but somehow along the way, the people that make up my family seem to be strewn all over the place.

Tanya answers the ebony black door after the first ring of the doorbell.

"Well that was quick," she says as she opens the door further to let me in.

I trudge in. "What do you want Tanya?" I ask. She leads the way into a room off to the side of the foyer. It's furnished like a small study or office.

She offers me a seat, and then she takes the leather wingback chair across from me. I scrub my face with my hands, trying to rein in my irritation, and sit down.

"Will you just calm down?" she says.

"You're taking me away from my Christmas celebrations with my family, Tanya. Couldn't this have waited until we got back home?"

"Is there something wrong with my wanting to come home for the Holidays too?"

I snicker. "You never wanted to come here for vacation, Tanya. You hate it here," I say, as I look around the house. It's a cold house. Beautiful, but cold. The furniture is expensive and all perfectly placed, like a display, not to be touched or disturbed. She looks around too; her sneer clearly shows her disdain.

My patience is short. "Tanya, what ever it is you want to talk about is obviously important, so please, let's just get on with this."

"Okay." She takes a deep breath. For the first time, she seems nervous and a little unsure of herself. Her lower lip quivers slightly, and she turns her gaze down to the top of the coffee table in front of her. "I'm losing my job at the end of January." She traces the edge of the arm of the chair with her fingernail.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I say. Even though I'm angry, I truly feel sorry for her. I've been through this before, and I'd never wish it upon anyone else. Not even her.

She's a hard worker, and was very good at her business development job. She'd built several European personal care product brands from scratch and headed the new business division at the company that was now letting her go. In this economy, no one was sacred.

"Thanks," she says softly.

"Are you going to need money? I'm sure I can arrange for something?"

She seems grateful for the offer, but waves it off. "I'll be fine. The severance package is good and the support you give is adequate. I'll have enough, thank you."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Well, I was thinking of starting up my own company, actually. Irina wants to bring Laurent's fashion jewelry line to the States. I think it would be perfect as a direct selling company."

Her sister, Irina moved to London to study fashion design. After graduation, she worked for a local fashion house and wound up marrying, Laurent, one of the accessories designers. At some point, they both left the fashion house to strike out on their own. Tanya would certainly the perfect person to help them bring the line to the country.

"That sounds great, Tanya. Just tell me what you'll need and I'll help in anyway I can." Despite everything that's happened between us, I still want to look out for her welfare. Our marriage wasn't entirely unhappy. She was, after all, Jane's mother.

"Well, now comes what I came here to ask. I want to re-negotiate the terms of our custody agreement."

I keep silent. I knew this was coming, and I'm worried of what she'll ask of me. Having Jane move away is out of the question.

"Now first and foremost, I want you to know that I have no intention of moving away from where we are now. So you can breathe easy on that."

I try to keep my game face on, not wanting to let her in on the fact that I am extremely relieved about that.

"I'm going to need to do some travelling, and on occasion, I'm going to want to bring Jane with me. "

"Okay," I answer tentatively. I'm not sure how I'm feeling. It's a reasonable request, but one I'm not comfortable with.

"I'm going to have to travel to London once in a while, possibly longer than twenty days. I just can't be away from her for that long. She's still got a couple of years before she starts school, this is really the only period of time when I can do this with her."

I can't imagine a day without hearing Jane's voice. "Tanya, I don't think I can deal with being away from her that long either."

Tanya raises her hands to stop me. "Edward, I get it. I really do. But, she's my daughter too. I need her in my life." She's practically begging, something I'd never seen her do. The loss of her job is a heavy blow, that's probably knocked her off her footing. I understand perfectly. I felt this way when I lost my job, I wanted to grab hold and keep all that was precious to me close.

"And now that Bella and your son are in the picture, I'm sure that re-working the agreement would help you as well. I'm sure you'd want to bring Jane to Singapore. I wouldn't fight you on that."

"Well, Bella and Nathan will be coming back after her contract expires," I say, maybe a little too quickly. After what happened earlier, I don't know what I can be sure of anymore.

"How do you know that? Because _you_ said so? Edward, please. I know you. You're assuming that, that's how things will turn out. But what if it doesn't? What if she gets a renewal offer that she absolutely cannot refuse? What then? Are you going to drag that little boy back over here?"

"That really doesn't concern you, Tanya."

"Like hell, it does. You're talking about Jane's brother. I'm pretty sure that she's already latched on to him by now."

I know she's right. And I'm pretty sure Nathan's latched on to her too. He seems so elated by the fact that he actually has a family; a sister, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and even cousins.

"Edward, you know that what I'm asking for is reasonable. Please, do the right thing here."

It is the right thing to do. And, yes, a relaxation of the agreement will help me out too. It will be the best for all concerned, even for Bella and Nathan.

"Okay, Tanya. Just let me think about it first. I'm not saying no…"

Her face lights up. I raise my hand to make sure she's doesn't misunderstand.

"But I'm not saying yes, just yet. I want to talk to the lawyers first, okay?

Even though, I haven't formally agreed, she's obviously elated. For some reason, I am too. I am happy that I've found myself more reasonable and willing to make a fairer compromise.

"Thank you, Edward." She reaches out and wraps her arms around me. Now, that doesn't feel comfortable. I quickly step back out of her arms. I don't want to be in anyone else's embrace other than Bella's. "This really means a lot to me, and I'm sure it will make things work out better for all of us."

"I think you're right, Tanya. Let's just talk to the lawyers first, okay. Just to make sure all this will work out."

She caresses the side of my face. "I can't tell you enough, how happy this makes me. It's the perfect Christmas gift. Thank you."


	31. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Scooter(69/12)/Dilute(6/11/12)/Speedy(6/12/12)**

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><p>"Well, Bella's certainly mellowed you out in a major way," Tanya says, as she leads me out to the foyer. We're finished discussing the potential changes to the agreement, so it's time for me to scoot.<p>

I chuckle slightly. I too realize that I'm actually calmer than I've ever been in Tanya's presence after the divorce. My ire towards her is completely diluted.

Just before we reach the door, she turns to me, her face slightly twisted in thought. "You know, Edward, I've always known that you were hooked on Bella. Even when we were kids."

I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You always seemed so drawn to her. Wherever she was, you were there too. I had to think of ways to keep her out of the picture."

"She was the one that told me about you, you know," I reveal.

She smiles deviously. "I know. I told her I had a crush on you because I knew she'd tell you. It was the only thing that worked to ward her off."

"Ward her off?"

"Geez, Edward. Yeah. In those days, I thought I had to kind of mark my territory." She shakes her head in amusement then waves her hand in front of her, brushing off the issue. "Forget it, Edward. It's a girl thing. It's just that she's always been in your world, it used to drive me insane."

"What do you mean? I married you didn't I?"

"Yes, you did. And honestly, when we got married, I thought I'd won. I should've known there was something deeper between the two of you. Even when I found that e-mail you thought you trashed —"

"What e-mail?"

She looks at me in surprise and embarrassment. "I never told you about that, did I?"

I shake my head.

"A couple of weeks after we started dating, you asked me to look for an e-mail confirmation for some purchase you made on your computer. I couldn't find it in the Inbox, so I poked around the other folders and found this letter you wrote her, asking her to stay. But it was never sent."

I didn't realize it still existed. I don't know if I should be mortified that she'd seen it.

"How come you never brought it up."

She shrugs. "It didn't seem to matter anymore. You were with me, and she was gone. I didn't want to rock the boat. And through the years, you never even mentioned her. So I didn't have a reason to think about it again."

It was true. Once I decided to let go, I let go completely. No one would ever accuse me of being unfaithful physically, mentally or emotionally.

"But now, I realize that you got her pregnant before we got together." She taps her finger on her lip. "And you really didn't know about the boy?"

"Nope." I shake my head.

"Well, that sort of sucks, doesn't it? What was that like?"

"Yes it did suck," I answer. "It is what it is, Tanya. Bella and I are just trying to move forward."

"And what exactly is the plan for you guys?"

"I don't know yet, but I hope to work it out as soon as possible."

I look down at my watch. It's past seven o'clock, and I know Bella and Nathan are probably getting ready for their trip to Seattle in the morning. I know Bella's asked for the day for sometime to breathe, but I don't want her to go with any doubts. I wince at the thought of her wondering about this meeting while she's gone.

She nods. As if understanding that time is running at a speedy clip, she grabs the doorknob and twists it to open the door.

"Thanks, Tanya," I say gratefully and move to step out.

"Oh, Edward. Do you mind if I pick up Jane from your parents' house tonight? I'd love to spend some time with her. I can bring her back home tomorrow morning. I'm sure you and Bella need to talk." She seems earnest in her request.

"Of course. She'd love to see you." I pull my phone out. "Let me call Mom and let her know you're coming."

"Thanks, Edward."

* * *

><p>On my way to Bella's I call Mom so they can expect Tanya's arrival to pick up Jane. I assure her that things are fine and that I've given my permission. I tell her where I'm going and not to expect me home<p>

A small red sedan is parked at the curb in front of the house while Bella's truck is parked in the driveway. Leah answers the door after I ring the doorbell. She looks like she's been crying. Embry is sitting on the couch, but quickly stands when he sees me. He has a forlorn look on his face too.

"Is everything alright?" I ask. She nods and smiles shyly and lets me in.

She sniffs loudly and gestures to the stairs. "Miss Bella is upstairs."

"Thanks." I move past them and head up the steps. "Bella!" I call out.

"Edward?" Bella answers from the bathroom. The door is slightly ajar, and I can hear water splashing around. I enter and find Nathan taking a bath in the tub, while Bella sits on the covered toilet seat, looking a little sad and amused at the same time.

"What's going on down there?"

"That Embry boy just asked Leah to stay to be with him."

I nod, stifling a laugh. "Ahhh… How come I feel like there's a lesson to be learned here?" I lean against the small vanity.

"I know right?" Bella laughs and rubs both hands down her face.

Nathan slaps the surface of the water with one of his action figures and mimics the sound of a bomb exploding.


	32. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Right<strong>

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><p>1225/2008

Nathan comes out of the bath and I towel him off and then help him get into his pajamas. Bella get his bed ready, and we both tuck him into bed. I follow Bella into her bedroom, and close the door behind us.

Leah and Embry are still downstairs, discussing their plans.

"So what do you think is going to happen to those two?" I ask. I am impressed by Embry's gumption to declare his desires. He's much younger than I was when I failed to do what he did five years ago. Maybe it's a generational thing? When you're young, you're afraid of nothing, even rejection.

Bella has her arms crossed over her chest. "I don't know." She shrugs then she grabs her hair with her fingers, like she's about to pull it by the roots. "God, what am I going to tell her parents if I come home without her?"

"How old are they?" I ask.

"She's twenty five. He must be about the same." She plops herself on to the bed and lies down on her back, her arms spread out wide across the bed.

I climb on top of her and straddle her hips. I use my elbows and knees to keep from crushing her underneath me. Our faces are so close, the tips of our noses touch. I enjoy how her fingers feel, running through my hair. I do the same with hers, twirling the strands around my fingers.

"Does she feel the same way about him?"

"If she didn't, I don't think I'd be worrying about this at all." She laughs slightly, making the bed move under us. Our bodies touch and the warmth that is floating up from her distracts me from the issue at hand. There's nothing more I want right now, than to take our clothes off and make love to her.

I brush my nose against hers, and move to nuzzle her cheek. "What do you think she'll do?" My own breath fans back to me.

She hums softly as my lips touch her earlobe. Her arms wrap around my neck as we adjust ourselves on the bed, moving so my legs and pelvis are now between her legs and we're almost flush against each other. I slide my arms under her back, and trace the side of her neck with my lips.

"I'm not sure," she replies. "But I hope she does the right thing."

This stops me, and I lift my head so I can look at her face. "And what's that?"

"To follow her heart," she replies. Her gaze remains steady with mine. "Or live a lifetime wondering, 'what if?' Life's too short for that kind of uncertainty."

I don't think we're speaking of Leah's predicament anymore. Sliding my arms back out from under her, I prop up my upper body with my elbows on the bed. "And what does your heart say now?"

She loosens her arms around my neck, and moves her hands to hold both sides of my head.

"It says 'I love you', and that everything will work out between us because of it."

My heart fills with joy, and I actually feel a sting in my eye from tears that are forming. "Come back to me Bella. Please come home."

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><p><em>I apologize for the extremely short chapter. This scene was all that would come out today. Thank you for continuing to read and allowing me to entertain you.<em>


	33. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Not beta'd.**

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><p><strong>Witfit – Relinquish (616/12)/ Cap (6/18/12)/ loss (6/20/12)**

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><p>110/2009

The lines are long and tiresome. There's a flurry activity everywhere. Newark International Airport is one of the world's busiest airports and it feels as if I've been running through its terminals all week.

Well, close.

A few days ago, Jane and I arrived from our trip to Forks. Yesterday, I dropped her and Tanya on their first trip to London to visit her Auntie Irina.

Today, I'm waiting for the boarding announcement for my flight to Singapore. It'll be a short trip, but the first of many to come. Until Bella and Nathan come home, that is.

I smile at the thought of finally seeing Bella's home. This trip is earlier than planned, but I couldn't help it. I missed her too much.

On Christmas night, Bella gave me a leather passport carrying case.

Leah decided to return to Singapore, but Embry promised to visit as soon as he could save some money for a ticket and get a passport. He joined Bella and Nathan to bring Leah to the airport, and found his own way home from SeaTac as Bella and Nathan stayed in Seattle to meet with her attorney.

I wanted to go, but opted to give Bella the space she asked for. When she returned, she handed to me the bundle of signed paternity documents, tied in a bright red ribbon. I managed to return the packet to my attorneys just before the last workday of the year. This was, indeed the best way to cap the year.

New Year's was all a blur to me, as we tried to do so many things as we could together as a family. It was ludicrous, really, but we tried. I worried about Nathan and Jane saying goodbye to each other at the airport. I think I felt worse than the kids did. I might have shed a couple more tears than Jane did, but I'm not telling.

My attorney filed the documents on the first business day of the year.

The next step was to work on the child support package. The attorneys would handle the rest of the work from that point onwards. I can't imagine the bill from my attorney at the end of the month. Adding to it the work they're doing to amend my custody agreement with Tanya. The money is the least of my worries. It's a loss I'm willing to take.

Signing the documents actually felt like loosening the reins I'd been pulling so tight against my chest. It felt good relinquishing all the anxiety and anger related to the old agreement. I didn't realize I'd been so stressed.

My heart ached each passing day, and I looked forward to the evenings when I'd call her when she was just waking to get ready for work. After a week, I couldn't take it. I booked the next most practicable flight out, and that's today.

I'm just starting to get comfortable in the waiting area when the airline staff congregate at the podium by the terminal gate. "All passengers bound for Singapore, please prepare for your boarding call."

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><p>From: Isabella Swan ISwanATgmailDOTcom<p>

Sent: March15, 2009

To: eacullenATgmailDOTcom

Subject: Re: House Renovation Plans

Dear Edward,

The meeting's done. Things didn't exactly turn out as I'd expected. They weren't going to renew my contract after all. They want to transition my position to a locally hired one and asked me to take it. I said no and told them I wanted to return to US headquarters.

They said there's no room for me back at HQ. They offered early retirement.

We're coming home.

Yours,

Bella

PS, Do you think the house will be ready for us in June?

- The End –

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><p><em>Thank you all for reading this story. It was certainly a pleasure bringing this to you. It was an experiment for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.<em>

_Special thanks goes out to my dearest friends in this fic world who encouraged me and lent me their ears and shoulders throughout this journey, namely, Dragon1974UK, SassyK, SerendipitousMC, Rochelle Allison, and songster._

_It is only my wish to entertain you. Hopefully you will give me the opportunity to do it again in the future._

_Mieke a/k/a M244robp _


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